errant

American  

[er-uhnt] / ˈɛr ənt /

adjective

1. deviating from the regular or proper course; erring; straying.

2. journeying or traveling, as a medieval knight in quest of adventure; roving adventurously.

3. moving in an aimless or lightly changing manner.

   an errant breeze.

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errant British  

/ ˈɛrənt /

adjective

1. archaic wandering in search of adventure

2. erring or straying from the right course or accepted standards

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonerrantly
  adverb
• unerrantly
  adverb
• unerrant
  adjective
• errantly
  adverb
• nonerrant
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of errant

1300–50; Middle English erraunt < Middle French, Old French errant, present participle of errer, edrer to travel < Vulgar Latin *iterāre to journey, for Late Latin itinerārī, derivative of iter, stem itiner- journey ( see itinerary); confused with Middle French errant, present participle of errer to err

Explanation

Something or someone described as errant has gone astray or done wrong by going in an unexpected direction. An errant bird might end up in northern Canada while his friends fly to southern Mexico for the winter. Although errant is commonly used as a synonym for "misbehaving" or "naughty," it also refers to things that are just out of place. An errant bomb can hit a house instead of an army base, and an errant lock of hair can get in your eyes. Errant can be intentional, as in "the errant boys skipped school to go to the movies," or unintentional, as in "an errant snowball hit your neighbor instead of your arch enemy."

Related Words

• aberrant
• erratic
• offending
• stray
• unorthodox
• wayward