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
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had erredperfect
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was erringprogressive
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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:
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
“The Fed is gun shy and will rather err on side of doing nothing and leaving things stable,” says Anna Rathbun, CEO of Grenadilla Advisory, a wealth management firm.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
People don’t know how long they will live, so they err on the side of caution.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026
Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Mr. Rahe also errs on tariffs’ ability to promote manufacturing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026
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
“Precedents should be respected, but sometimes the Court errs, and occasionally the Court issues an important decision that is egregiously wrong,” Alito wrote.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 24, 2022
“Me returns eighteen barks; eighteen errs makes burnt.”
From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green
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
Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled that a trial judge had erred by excluding the plaintiffs’ expert medical witnesses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
She said the court had concluded that trial judge, Judge Nicholas Rowland, had "erred in his assessment of the seriousness of the offences".
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
He believes the asset manager erred in deviating from the contractual terms of the fund agreements.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
The Duke, then, erred in this election, and it was the cause of his ultimate ruin.
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
Perhaps they were erring on the side of overpunishment out of concern for the sport’s image.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
