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.
Precious metals are likely supported by a combination of erratic trading hours on the CME and continued Fed dovishness, Sucden Financial writes in a note.
That’s been the overwhelming motivation for residents in this neighborhood, who have refused to relent against an erratic landslide that has presented challenge after challenge.
From Los Angeles Times
They were forced to leave after 30 minutes because of danger from the erratic winds.
From Los Angeles Times
Because of the erosion of market institutions in the U.S., erratic policy, and the potential for inflation, we may see the dollar go lower, from a historically high level, over the next couple of years.
From Barron's
Already feeling financial pressure in her catering business due to increasing food costs, which she attributed to the president’s erratic tariffs, she decided to close the doors.
From Salon
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.
