fairly dependable

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fairly dependable" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe someone or something that is reasonably reliable or trustworthy, but not completely so. Example: "While the car is fairly dependable, it does have a few quirks that can be frustrating at times."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Publicly, Mancini has said little about the decision to abandon last year's fairly dependable back four, but Richards' suggestion that they haven't practised it that much made the use of it on Wednesday night a fairly remarkable gamble.

Independent

In the last five years or so, however, major hotel chains have begun dominating roadside budget hotels, and that has brought a fairly dependable level of consistency, Mr. Gordon said.

The New York Times

Ian Bryson, an analyst in Singapore at Control Risks, a consulting firm, said that there was less political risk in Malaysia than most of its regional peers and that the country benefited from relatively low corruption and a fairly dependable judiciary.

The New York Times

There it earns fairly dependable fee income by taking care of leasing, consulting, purchasing and administering vehicle fleets for big corporate customers.

Forbes

There it earns fairly dependable fee income by taking care of leasing, consulting, purchasing and administration of vehicle fleets for big corporate customers.

Forbes

When the stock market can shed more than 500 points in a single day, investors no longer sneer at bonds, which, whatever their drawbacks, do deliver a fairly dependable return.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

He's been pretty dependable.

The New York Times - Sports

This team suggested a fairly conservative but dependable strategy, investing most of the money in a gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea that's already being built.

BBC

But Investcorp's strong suit has been finding and recapitalizing fairly mature businesses with dependable cash flows.

Forbes

The code is shown to produce results of excellent accuracy, and it is believed that it will be useful to the designer in obtaining dependable results for fairly complex beam geometries with discontinuities in mass and stiffness distributions, support flexibilities and variable axial loads.

Journal of Sound and Vibration

"They are scalable, they are dependable, they can operate with a fairly high degree of autonomy," he said.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fairly dependable" when you want to express that something or someone is reliable to a reasonable extent, but not perfectly so. It implies a moderate level of trust and consistency. For example, "While the weather forecast is fairly dependable, it's always wise to bring an umbrella."

Common error

Avoid using "fairly dependable" when describing something that requires absolute reliability. It's better to use stronger terms like "highly reliable" or "completely dependable" in such contexts, especially when safety or critical functions are involved.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fairly dependable" functions as an adjective phrase that modifies a noun. According to Ludwig, it describes something that offers a moderate level of reliability or trustworthiness. It combines the adverb "fairly" to temper the strength of the adjective "dependable".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

71%

Science

14%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Reference

2%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fairly dependable" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase in English. According to Ludwig, it serves to describe something or someone as reasonably reliable or trustworthy, though not completely so. It's considered a neutral expression suitable for a range of contexts, including news, business, and general conversation. While "fairly dependable" is not exceedingly common, it's a useful phrase for expressing a moderate level of confidence or expectation. When using it, be mindful of the context and choose stronger terms if absolute reliability is required.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

reasonably reliable

Emphasizes the reliability aspect but uses a different adverb.

moderately trustworthy

Focuses on trustworthiness as the key attribute.

somewhat dependable

Uses a synonym for "fairly" to convey a similar degree of reliability.

pretty reliable

Replaces "fairly" with "pretty", offering a more informal tone.

kind of dependable

An even more informal way to express moderate dependability.

largely reliable

Suggests a generally high level of reliability with minor exceptions.

mostly dependable

Similar to 'largely reliable', indicating a high degree of dependability in most cases.

generally reliable

Highlights the overall reliability but allows for occasional lapses.

quite reliable

Expresses a level of reliability that is slightly higher than "fairly dependable".

serviceable

Implies adequate reliability for a specific purpose or function.

FAQs

How can I use "fairly dependable" in a sentence?

You can use "fairly dependable" to describe something that is reasonably reliable but not completely so. For instance, "The bus service is "fairly dependable", but delays can happen occasionally".

What are some alternatives to "fairly dependable"?

Alternatives include "reasonably reliable", "moderately trustworthy", or "somewhat dependable". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "fairly dependable" a formal or informal expression?

"Fairly dependable" is generally considered a neutral expression suitable for both formal and informal contexts. However, in very formal settings, you might opt for a more precise or stronger term like "generally reliable".

When should I avoid using "fairly dependable"?

Avoid using "fairly dependable" when describing something that requires absolute certainty or unwavering reliability. In such cases, use phrases like "completely reliable" or "unfailingly dependable".