errant

[er-uhnt]

adjective

1. deviating from the regular or proper course; erring; erring; straying.

2. journeying or traveling, as a medieval knight in quest of adventure; roving adventurously.

3. moving in an aimless or lightly changing manner.

   an errant breeze.

errant

/ ˈɛrənt /

adjective

1. archaic,  wandering in search of adventure

2. erring or straying from the right course or accepted standards

Other Word Forms

• errantly adverb
• nonerrant adjective
• nonerrantly adverb
• unerrant adjective
• unerrantly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of errant¹

1300–50; Middle English erraunt < Middle French, Old French errant, present participle of errer, edrer to travel < Vulgar Latin *iterāre to journey, for Late Latin itinerārī, derivative of iter, stem itiner- journey ( itinerary ); confused with Middle French errant, present participle of errer to err

Word History and Origins

Origin of errant¹

C14: from Old French: journeying, from Vulgar Latin iterāre (unattested), from Latin iter journey; influenced by Latin errāre to _err

Example Sentences

The audience begins to trickle in and the sound of excited chatter joins the errant notes.

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The White House released photos that looked like a headmaster making an errant pupil say sorry.

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Despite his scholarly assiduity, Metcalfe is moving down an errant path that will never square the facts with lived experience.

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Measles was “eliminated” in the U.S. in 2000, meaning the disease was rare enough and immunity widespread enough to prevent local transmission if an errant case popped up.

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When the song ends, the band spend several minutes chaotically ad libbing to the crowd as Rosé struggles to tie an errant shoelace.

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Related Words

• aberrant 
• erratic 
• offending www.thesaurus.com
• stray 
• unorthodox 
• wayward