erratically

American

[ih-rat-ik-lee] / ɪˈræt ɪk li /

adverb

in a way that deviates from what is normal or proper.

When other employees noticed she was behaving erratically, the store installed cameras and caught her stealing pills.
without any definite direction or pattern; in an irregular or inconsistent way.

The cyclone moved erratically westward and southward for two days while slowly strengthening into a tropical storm.
Since I was fourteen I've kept a journal, albeit somewhat erratically at times.

Other Word Forms

nonerratically adverb

Etymology

Origin of erratically

First recorded in 1610–20; erratic ( def. ) + -ally ( def. )

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.

“Rebel English Academy” reprises the excoriating humor of that debut, but only erratically.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

“Markets can gyrate and change their opinions regularly, erratically, and are often quite wrong,” said Rick Rieder, BlackRock’s chief investment officer of global fixed income, in emailed comments Friday.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 14, 2026

Nick Reiner, who lived in a guest property at his parents' home, had attended comedian Conan O'Brien's glitzy party on Saturday, December 13 with his parents, where some attendees reportedly spoke of his behaving erratically.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

"His driving patterns changed. Where he was going, he was driving erratically which is typical of someone trying to evade surveillance."

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

I looked at the little cotton fluffs that were building up along the sidewalk and swirling erratically past my face.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023