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

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

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From BBC

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton likewise called on the government of Texas to “use every tool at our disposal to hunt down” the errant lawmakers.

From Salon

Congress required the FDA in 2012 to provide specific information every year about how and when the agency relaxed its rules for errant drugmakers to prevent shortages.

From Salon

Related Words

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