erred; erring; errs

intransitive verb

1
a
: to make a mistake
erred in his calculations
erred on the side of caution
b
: to violate an accepted standard of conduct
2
archaic : stray

Did you know?

Is it human to err?

Many people are familiar with the word err from encountering it in the epigram “to err is human; to forgive, divine.” This phrase is found in Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Criticism, from 1711. Earlier expressions of the same sentiment exist, as in Thomas Jones’ 1678 book, Of the Heart, and its Right Soveraign, which contains the line “to err, is human, to recover, is Angelical; to persevere is Diabolical.”

Err is also often found in the phrase err on the side of caution, to suggest that being overly cautious is better than not being cautious enough.

Err stems from the Latin word errare, meaning “to stray, wander,” and it retained that meaning when it first entered English. We find the same Latin ancestor at the root of the words error, erratic, and erroneous.

Examples of err in a Sentence

I may have erred in my calculations. The court erred in refusing to allow bail.
Recent Examples on the Web In late 2022, the appellate court disagreed, and ruled that the trial court erred in dismissing the recall on technical grounds, and ordered that court to evaluate Martin’s recall bid on its merits. Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 Gallagher erred by not changing venue for the trial because there was sufficient evidence to support the existence of a dangerous combination of influential people, Gill argued. Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Feb. 2024 A day following the loss, the NFL said game officials erred in one of the two penalties Flowers received and Lions players continued to say they were cheated. Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 22 Jan. 2024 When Rose erred by crossing the starting line early in the first race Saturday, she was relegated to last place and fell out of contention for victory. Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2024 This will be a significant offseason for Johnston, who still must prove that former general manager Tom Telesco didn’t err in drafting him with the 21st pick in April. Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2023 Wear with a pair of sleek jeans or leather pants for a look that errs on the edgier side. Laura Jackson, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2023 This highlights the enlivening effect of a plunge and suggests that people who are indecisive probably err too much on the side of caution. Jessica Dulong, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024 The Arizona Secretary of State erred by forcing the new No Labels Party to accept candidates for offices besides those of president and vice president, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. The Arizona Republic, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'err.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French errer, from Latin errare to wander, err; akin to Old English ierre wandering, perverse, Goth airzeis deceived

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of err was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near err

Cite this Entry

“Err.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/err. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

err

verb
1
: to make a mistake
erred in my calculations
2
: to do wrong : sin

Legal Definition

err

intransitive verb
: to make an error
the court erred in denying the motion

More from Merriam-Webster on err

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