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.
The interrogation theme reinforces the subject’s rationalizations or justifications for committing the crime,” Reid and Associates explains in a bulletin titled “Common Erroneous and False Statements About the Reid Technique.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2024
It’s the largest payment under California’s Erroneous Conviction Program, although there have been larger awards to crime victims through other programs.
From Seattle Times • May 17, 2018
Erroneous medication orders kill thousands of Americans annually, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2016
In time, “Your Erroneous Zones” landed on the bestseller list and was translated into numerous languages.
From Washington Post • Sep. 1, 2015
Other men's honor, dignity, good name, Did he shift like pawns, and make no conscience of; Still calculating, calculating still; And yet at last his calculation proves Erroneous; the whole game is lost; and lo!
From The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 03 Masterpieces of German Literature Translated into English. in Twenty Volumes by Francke, Kuno
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.
