infallible
Loading your saved state.
infallible
Never making a mistake; absolutely certain and reliable. Often also used ironically or as an exaggeration.
Kein Mensch ist unfehlbar, jeder macht mal einen Fehler.
No person is infallible; everyone makes a mistake sometimes.
infallible
In the context of Catholic theology, the quality of the pope being free from error in final decisions on questions of faith and morals.
Das Dogma besagt, dass der Papst unter bestimmten Bedingungen unfehlbar ist.
The dogma states that the pope is infallible under certain conditions.
The word is logically structured: the prefix 'un-' negates, the stem comes from 'Fehler' (mistake/error), and the ending '-bar' means 'capable of' or 'possible'. 'Unfehlbar' therefore literally means 'not capable of making a mistake'.
Sein Gedächtnis für Zahlen scheint unfehlbar zu sein.
His memory for numbers seems to be infallible.
Besides being used for people, 'unfehlbar' (infallible) is often used for abstract things that are considered very reliable. Typical combinations are 'ein unfehlbarer Instinkt' (an infallible instinct), 'ein unfehlbares Gefühl' (an infallible feeling), or 'eine unfehlbare Methode' (an infallible method).
Sie hat einen unfehlbaren Geschmack für Mode.
She has infallible taste in fashion.
In everyday language, 'unfehlbar' (infallible) is often used in an exaggerated or ironic way to express that someone or something is, after all, not perfect. The emphasis and the context make the irony clear.
Mein Navi ist angeblich unfehlbar, aber heute hat es mich komplett falsch geleitet.
My GPS is supposedly infallible, but today it guided me completely the wrong way.
You can recognize the special theological meaning from the context. When 'Papst' (pope), 'Konzil' (council), 'Dogma' (dogma), or 'Glaubensfragen' (questions of faith) are mentioned, this very specific meaning is intended.
In der Theologie wird die Frage diskutiert, wann der Papst als unfehlbar gilt.
In theology, the question of when the pope is considered infallible is discussed.
error-free
Both words can describe correct and reliable performance. „fehlerfrei“ usually refers to a specific state, result, or individual process. „unfehlbar“ sounds absolute and claims that someone or something never makes a mistake; this is often exaggerated or ironic.
Kein Verfahren ist unfehlbar, auch wenn es bisher zuverlässig gearbeitet hat.
No procedure is infallible, even if it has worked reliably so far.
Das Programm lief bei diesem Test fehlerfrei.
The program ran without errors during this test.
