erratically
Americanadverb
-
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
Etymology
Origin of erratically
First recorded in 1610–20; erratic ( def. ) + -ally ( def. )
Explanation
If you do something erratically, you do it in an arbitrary or irregular way. Driving erratically is a good way to get pulled over by a traffic cop. A new bike rider might pedal erratically up and down the street, swerving and stopping suddenly. Or, your anxiety about getting an important grade could make you behave erratically, chewing your nails nervously one minute and laughing loudly the next. Things that are erratic are uneven or unpredictable, and the Latin root is erraticus, "wandering, straying, or roving."
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.
The band of rain in the north of the UK will move erratically south-eastwards during Tuesday and Wednesday in association with a weather front.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Not long after, video footage showed the vehicle swerving erratically between lanes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Drivers called 999 after seeing Hynd's Nissan Qashqai moving erratically and swerving into the opposing carriageway.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has sought to regulate the industry, with spokesman Hamayoun Afghan saying resources "used to be extracted erratically; it wasn't done under supervision" by the previous government.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
Woo collapses on the ground, his tiny chest rising and falling erratically.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
