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
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Auggie & Me
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 I err, and I do, my legs sometimes itch so fiercely they feel on fire and I break out in hives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Any effort by lawmakers to build a framework without sufficient oversight is bound to fail, so they should err on the side of supervision.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 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
I don’t know if it still hurts people’s feelings at that age to be thought of as older, but it’s better to err on the side of caution.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Mr. Rahe also errs on tariffs’ ability to promote manufacturing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 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
"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
In that case, the Dallas Cowboys erred by doing what the Eagles should have done.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Second, the work of both Messrs. Hall and Woodford shows how government policy, especially monetary policy, has at times erred and caused instability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Paramount is expected to argue that the states erred by not including streaming as part of the market definition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 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
This laudable decision would have succeeded if he had not erred in his other moves.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
The Bank warned unemployment could rise further due to households erring on the side of caution and choosing to save more and spend less.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
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
They heard the gentle remonstrance of a kindly king with an erring but much-loved minister.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
