- present participle of err.
erring
AmericanOther Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of erring
1300–50; Middle English; replacing Middle English errand. See err, -ing 2
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.
However, during the meeting some members of the governing council said there “could be a case for erring on the dovish side.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026
“We should be erring on the side of doing too much, not doing too little.”
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 17, 2026
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said the team were erring on the side of caution in their handling of Wembanyama's calf problem.
From Barron's ● Nov. 17, 2025
“We’re erring more on the side of do it sooner rather than later to take into account these extreme events,” Ghilarducci said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2025
They heard the gentle remonstrance of a kindly king with an erring but much-loved minister.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
![]()
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.