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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
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 28 June 2025
The court will consider whether or not the lower court erred in ruling that the Higher Education Act of 1965 doesn't allow for borrowers to file for borrower defense before default.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
The justices now say the lower courts erred, ordering the appeals court to reexamine the case.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 12 June 2025
The district court erred in allowing the state to introduce evidence of uncharged bad acts from Arizona into the Idaho criminal trial under Rule 404(b) of the Idaho Rules of Evidence.
5.
—Nate Eaton, Idaho Statesman, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for err
Cite this Entry
“Err.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/err. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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err
intransitive verb
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