human error

American  

[hyoo-muhn er-er] / ˈhju mən ˈɛr ər /

noun

human errors plural

1. a mistake made by a human worker or the propensity of humans to make such mistakes, as opposed to the failure of mechanical or electronic systems or devices.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• human-error
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• human errors
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

human error

In an attempt to eliminate human error, this great sport has introduced human error.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

For a year, the families of the victims have lived with unanswered questions: what happened in the cockpit, why the aircraft lost thrust, whether the disaster was human error, mechanical failure or something else entirely.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

Once agents are allowed to take automated actions, which is what makes them so useful, it takes things out of the realm of human error.

From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026

There was no fraud, just human error — which would soon be publicly confirmed through a hand count of the county’s ballots.

From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2026

The hospital makes every effort to monitor all aspects of our behavior, but there’s still room for human error.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman