- 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
In his first interview since it became public, Shapps told the BBC erring on the side of caution was "entirely justified", adding his focus had been "sorting out the mess and saving lives".
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2025
Presently out of the darkness Gollum came crawling on all fours, like an erring dog called to heel.
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.
