Dependability is the name for being someone or something others can trust to do what they need. A person with dependability comes when they said they would, and they do the job. A bus, a phone, or a team can have dependability too: it keeps working, again and again. It is a slightly formal word — the kind you see in a job letter or on a product box. In everyday talk, people more often say you can depend on someone, or that they are reliable. Though actually, dependability is about doing what people expect; it is not the same as being exciting or new. A dependable friend may be quiet. A dependable car may not be pretty.