err
Americanverb (used without object)
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to go astray in thought or belief; be mistaken; be incorrect.
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to go astray morally; sin.
To err is human.
- Synonyms:
- lapse, transgress
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Archaic. to deviate from the true course, aim, or purpose.
idioms
verb
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to make a mistake; be incorrect
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to stray from the right course or accepted standards; sin
-
to act with bias, esp favourable bias
to err on the side of justice
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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errsimple
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errssimple
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have erredperfect
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has erredperfect
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am erringprogressive
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are erringprogressive
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is erringprogressive
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have been erringperfect progressive
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has been erringperfect progressive
Past
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erredsimple
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had erredperfect
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was erringprogressive
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were erringprogressive
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had been erringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of err
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English erren, from Old French errer, from Latin errāre “to make a mistake; wander”; akin to Gothic airzjan, Old High German irrôn ( German irren )
Explanation
When you err, you make a mistake or do something wrong. When a newspaper reporter errs in a printed story, the paper often prints a correction the next day. By itself, err, which shares a Latin root with error, is a formal way to say "mess up." The proverb "To err is human, to forgive divine" is an old-fashioned version of "Hey, everyone makes mistakes. Why don't you be the bigger person and let it go?" Err can also mean to go in a certain direction, as in another common saying, "Err on the side of caution," or "Play it safe."
Vocabulary lists containing err
Grade 10, List 1
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Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 1
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Auggie & Me
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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.
Estonia's Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said the damage must have been done "by something greater than a diver or an unmanned submersible", ERR News reported.
From BBC • Oct. 13, 2023
"What I am absolutely certain and confident about is that my husband's companies are not engaging in any immoral activity", Kallas was quoted by ERR as saying on Wednesday.
From Reuters • Aug. 25, 2023
He told Estonia's ERR public broadcaster that he hoped the inquiry would provide answers and finally give people some closure on the disaster.
From BBC • Jul. 25, 2023
On Tuesday Estonian authorities in Narva removed at short notice a WW2-era Soviet tank from the city by crane, according to footage from national broadcaster ERR.
From Reuters • Aug. 16, 2022
Estonian broadcaster ERR said the dismantling was underway.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 16, 2022
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.
