err
Americanverb (used without object)
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to go astray in thought or belief; be mistaken; be incorrect.
-
to go astray morally; sin.
To err is human.
- Synonyms:
- lapse, transgress
-
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
-
had erredperfect
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was erringprogressive
-
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.
See Examples For:
“We’re going to err on the side of being fearful when people are greedy,” they said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Even if we can’t be sure something is conscious, we might err on the side of caution by assuming it is – what philosopher Jonathan Birch calls the precautionary principle for sentience.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026
“Our intent will always be to err on the side of access, which is the decision I have made with regard to “Roots.’”
From Salon ● May 31, 2026
“But we do have the luxury of trying to err on the side of caution. ... We are certainly better when he’s pitching for us, when he’s active.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
Outside at the edge of the runway, Queenie, err whatever her name was, stood staring at the wreck of the Luftwaffe bomber.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
So long as it always errs on the side of over-punishment, it can be bad.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
The West typically errs in “fighting on terrain chosen by the regime,” Mr. Ansari says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
Part of that unpredictability is predicated on Sonne’s performance, which errs on the wild side.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2024
“In other words, by design, SPD errs on the side of overestimating any disparity for analytic purposes,” according to a recent “Outcome Measures Update” filed in federal court in conjunction with the OIG assessment.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
“Me returns eighteen barks; eighteen errs makes burnt.”
From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green
At a fundamental level, the Lightning erred in attempting to be a traditional American pickup, with all the size and capacity but with a fraction of the available energy on board.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
The suit also says Southern California Edison erred because its utility equipment blocked visibility, preventing Hinkley from seeing the fast-approaching law enforcement vehicle.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
Barron’s has argued that the industry erred by setting up private and public funds because it gives investors incentive to swap from private to public when the public funds get cheap.
From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026
In the selection of his back three, Townsend erred on the side of caution and form.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
Markets erred when they gave America Online the currency to buy Time Warner.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
However, during the meeting some members of the governing council said there “could be a case for erring on the dovish side.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026
“We should be erring on the side of doing too much, not doing too little.”
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 17, 2026
Jhabbu Lal says "unless the erring policemen are arrested, we won't get justice".
From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2025
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said the team were erring on the side of caution in their handling of Wembanyama's calf problem.
From Barron's ● Nov. 17, 2025
“Your mother’s erring on the side of caution. You know how she gets.”
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
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.
