err
Americanverb (used without object)
-
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
- errability noun
- errable adjective
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 )
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.
Going forward, with these friends or any others, I’d err on the side of being overly communicative.
From MarketWatch
However, during the meeting some members of the governing council said there “could be a case for erring on the dovish side.”
“We should be erring on the side of doing too much, not doing too little.”
From MarketWatch
In all but one of the cases, officers were reprimanded or ordered to undergo retraining because they had erred in actions leading up to the shootings.
From Los Angeles Times
"This is not an emergency evacuation," said a Nasa official, adding: "We always err on the side of the astronaut's health."
From BBC
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.
