err on the side of

idiom

: to use or show more of (something) than may be needed so that one can be sure that he or she is using or showing enough of it

It's better to err on the side of generosity than to appear too stingy.

We chose to err on the side of caution when planning our investments.

Examples of err on the side of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

And the best course of action for the board member is to err on the side of disclosure, as opposed to parsing the definition. —

Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 And err on the side of being proactive, such as by offering regular updates before the micromanager has a chance to ask. —

Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 When dealing with sensitive data, err on the side of caution and assume zero privacy. —

Bernard Marr, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 That’s why financial planners tend to err on the side of caution when modeling retirement outcomes for clients. —

Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for err on the side of

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“Err on the side of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/err%20on%20the%20side%20of. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

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