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.
“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
He said they’d erred in making so many autobiographical movies and needed more broadly commercial hooks.
The West typically errs in “fighting on terrain chosen by the regime,” Mr. Ansari says.
He believes the asset manager erred in deviating from the contractual terms of the fund agreements.
From Barron's
Meta says Instagram's new alerts - stemming from its analysis of user search patterns - may occasionally alert parents when there is no cause for concern and will "err on the side of caution".
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.
