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.")
Examples of errant in a Sentence
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 7 May 2026
Jonny DeLuca doubled with two outs, stole third and then headed home on an errant throw.
—Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2026
Dodgers catcher Will Smith then attempted a back-pick at second base, but his errant throw bounced to the opposite side of the base and past shortstop Miguel Rojas.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
This isn’t the Kacey of 2024’s Deeper Well, omm-ing her way through pain, blaming any errant troubles on the astrological climate.
—Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for errant
Cite this Entry
“Errant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/errant. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
errant
adjective
