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error message

British  

noun

  1. a message displayed on a visual display unit, printout, etc, indicating that an incorrect instruction has been given to the computer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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Posting the link on Facebook now triggers an error message saying: “Posts that look like spam according to our Community Guidelines are blocked on Facebook and can’t be edited.”

From Slate ● Jan. 28, 2026

However, some people have reported problems with NatWest's online service too, with one sharing an error message which they said was displayed when they tried to make a payment.

From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2025

From 1500GMT on Friday, any Apple user in the UK attempting to turn it on has been met with an error message.

From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2025

A Salon search for usaid.gov on the same day resulted in a “can’t find server” error message.

From Salon ● Feb. 4, 2025

There was a flashing error message, and he tapped it repeatedly to no effect.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

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