inerrancy
Americannoun
-
lack of error; infallibility.
-
the belief that the Bible is free from error in matters of science as well as those of faith.
Etymology
Origin of inerrancy
First recorded in 1810–20; inerr(ant) + -ancy
Compare meaning
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Explanation
Something that has inerrancy is completely accurate and cannot be wrong. Many Christians believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. You're most likely to come across the noun inerrancy in a religious context. It usually describes Christian religious writing — particularly the Bible — and the word of God. People who believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible are most likely to emphasize its inerrancy. In other words, they think that everything in the Bible is the literal truth. Inerrancy comes from inerrant, which originally referred to stars in the sky, and which is rooted in inerrantem, "not wandering" in Latin.
Vocabulary lists containing inerrancy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Theologically, the new regime insisted on biblical inerrancy, the doctrine that the Bible is completely without error or contradiction.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2022
There was essentially a civil war in the denomination over biblical inerrancy, basically, is what they called.
From Slate • Jun. 21, 2021
By then, Paige Patterson had already cemented his role as the architect of the Southern Baptist Convention’s conservative turn with its embrace of biblical inerrancy, the belief that the Bible is without error.
From Washington Times • Nov. 21, 2019
For serious Biblical scholars, truth is a nuanced affair; contrary to popular understanding, inerrancy, infallibility, and literalism are all distinct positions.
From The New Yorker • Feb. 9, 2015
It is in these great ideas that the value of these writings consists, and not in any petty infallibility of phrase, or inerrancy of statement.
From Who Wrote the Bible? : a Book for the People by Gladden, Washington
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
