errant

adjective

er·​rant ˈer-ənt 

ˈe-rənt

1

a

: behaving wrongly

an errant child

b

: straying outside the proper path or bounds

an errant calf

c

: moving about aimlessly or irregularly

an errant breeze

d

: fallible

2

: traveling or given to traveling

an errant knight

errant noun

errantly adverb

Did you know?

Errant has a split history. It comes from Anglo-French, a language in which two confusingly similar verbs with identical spellings ("errer") coexisted. One errer meant "to err" and comes from the Latin errare, meaning "to wander" or "to err." The second errer meant "to travel," and traces to the Latin iter, meaning "road" or "journey." Both "errer" homographs contributed to the development of "errant," which not surprisingly has to do with both moving about and being mistaken. A "knight-errant" travels around in search of adventures. Cowboys round up "errant calves." An "errant child" is one who misbehaves. (You might also see "arrant" occasionally - it's a word that originated as an alteration of "errant" and that usually means "extreme" or "shameless.")

Synonyms of errant

• mischievous
• naughty
• bad

Examples of errant in a Sentence

The teacher blamed the prank on errant students.

the errant gunslinger as a standard character in western novels

Recent Examples on the Web

Fires can be caused by sparks from agricultural machinery, lightning strikes, an errant cigarette or even intentional arson. — ABC News, 24 July 2026

The clicking was from our electric fence, which was always zapping some errant grass, a misbehaving sheep, or a horny bull. — Chris Lee, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2026

The crash could reveal new information about what happens in the immediate aftermath of an impact on the lunar surface and offer insights into the hazards of errant space junk to the moon. — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 20 July 2026

The behavior of the team’s star players during the series—an errant throw here, a hit batter there—raised suspicions immediately. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English erraunt "wandering, itinerant, notorious, reprobate," borrowed from Anglo-French errant, present participle of errer "to journey, travel, behave, act, fare" (continental Old French also edrer, esrer) going back to early Medieval Latin iterāre, re-formation (after the base noun iter) of Late Latin itinerārī "to travel"; in sense 1 influenced by Middle French & French errant, present participle of errer "to go off course, be deceived or mistaken," going back to Latin errāre — more at itinerant. err

Note: See also arrant and supplemental note to etymology.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing errant

• knight-errant

Rhymes for errant

• parent
• aberrant
• apparent
• declarant
• grandparent
• stepparent
• transparent
• semitransparent

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Kids Definition

errant

adjective

er·​rant ˈer-ənt 

1

a

: moving around from place to place without apparent purpose or goal

b

: wandering in search of adventure

an errant knight

2

a

: straying outside proper bounds

an errant calf

b

: behaving or having behaved badly or wrongfully

errantry

-ən-trē

noun