erratic
Americanadjective
-
deviating from the usual or proper course in conduct or opinion; eccentric.
erratic behavior.
- Synonyms:
- capricious, unstable, unpredictable
- Antonyms:
- stable, regular, consistent
-
inconsistent, irregular, or unpredictable.
Many factors affect purchasing power, such as inflation and erratic swings in the stock market.
-
having no certain or definite course or pattern; wandering; not fixed.
erratic winds.
-
Geology. noting or pertaining to a boulder or the like carried by glacial ice and deposited some distance from its place of origin.
-
(of a lichen) having no attachment to the surface on which it grows.
noun
-
an erratic or eccentric person.
-
Geology. an erratic boulder or the like.
adjective
-
irregular in performance, behaviour, or attitude; inconsistent and unpredictable
-
having no fixed or regular course; wandering
noun
-
a piece of rock that differs in composition, shape, etc, from the rock surrounding it, having been transported from its place of origin, esp by glacial action
-
an erratic person or thing
Other Word Forms
- erratically adverb
- erraticism noun
- nonerratic adjective
- unerratic adjective
Etymology
Origin of erratic
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin errāticus, equivalent to errāt(us) (past participle of errāre “to make a mistake, err” ( err ) + -icus -ic
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.
When Warsh wrote another opinion article years later describing the Fed’s policies as confusing and erratic, he drew a pointed rebuttal from Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari.
Vice President JD Vance opened the meeting, noting that consistent investment in critical mineral industries is “nearly impossible” with erratic pricing, driven by foreign supplies flooding markets before new projects can get off the ground.
From Barron's
Yet Fischbach said his overall experience with corporate gatekeepers felt erratic and frustrating.
Nina’s behavior only grows increasingly erratic, and that means Seyfried is free to lean hard into her performance.
From Salon
“Not for more than maybe a few seconds. It’s too erratic.”
From Literature
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.
