err
Americanverb (used without object)
-
errs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
erred,
past participle, past
-
erring
present participle
-
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
-
to make a mistake; be incorrect
-
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
-
errssimple
-
have erredperfect
-
has erredperfect
-
am erringprogressive
-
are erringprogressive
-
is erringprogressive
-
have been erringperfect progressive
-
has been erringperfect progressive
Past
-
erredsimple
-
had erredperfect
-
was erringprogressive
-
were erringprogressive
-
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:
If you’re worried about running out of money, err on the side of taking out less rather than more.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
“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
Where sweaty digital executives err, Rahma thinks, is aiming too low.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
"They know you are here. Whether any will be bold enough to enter Chataya's in the guise of patrons I cannot say, but I find it best to err on the side of caution."
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
The West typically errs in “fighting on terrain chosen by the regime,” Mr. Ansari says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
“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
No matter how aspirational the beginning, when a startup succeeds, it eventually reaches a crossroads and inevitably errs on the side of profits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2023
"The school errs on the side of pressing charges," Mefford said.
From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2022
“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 three judges also found that the original judge had erred by not deeming Tickle's removal from the app based on Grover's "first visual review" of the profile picture as direct discrimination.
From BBC ● May 15, 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
The way I had erred was simple but utterly unbelievable.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
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
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
“We’re erring more on the side of do it sooner rather than later to take into account these extreme events,” Ghilarducci said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 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.
