adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of erroneous
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin errōneus “straying,” equivalent to errōn- (stem of errō ) “wanderer” (derivative of err-; see err) + -eus adjective suffix ( see -eous)
Explanation
The adjective erroneous describes something or someone as mistaken and incorrect. Early explorers had the erroneous notion that the oceans were full of dragons. When we talk about being on the "straight and narrow path" we aim to live a truthful and moral life. The Latin root of erroneous, or "to be incorrect" as well as "to be immoral," is errare, which means "to wander." It's clear that we make connections between behavior and direction or space. These two ideas have been linked for a very long time!
Vocabulary lists containing erroneous
Grade 9, List 6
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This Week in Words: January 13 - 19, 2018
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "E" and "F"
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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.
"If this effect is not accounted for, it can lead to the erroneous conclusion that the expansion rate is accelerating."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026
Civitas Como, a local citizens group, has challenged the legitimacy of ban, describing it as "questionable and erroneous".
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Justices’ attorney said they believe the FDA’s finding is erroneous and have appealed it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
Ardestani, the Beverly Hills attorney, admitted that she was not forthcoming regarding her use of nonexistent and erroneous citations in filings for a wage-and-hour class-action complaint filed in federal court in Sacramento in March 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2026
Quite the contrary: some of his most famous papers are marred by rudimentary mathematical errors, occasionally leading to erroneous conclusions.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
