erroneous
adjective
er·ro·ne·ous
i-ˈrō-nē-əs 
e-
1
2
archaic
: wandering
erroneously
adverb
erroneousness
noun
Did you know?
How to Define Erroneous
Erroneous basically means "containing errors", and, since most of us are constantly suffering from mistaken notions, the word is often used in front of words such as "assumption" and "idea". It's also used to describe the kind of mistaken information that can lead to erroneous theories, erroneous conclusions, and erroneous decisions.
Examples of erroneous in a Sentence
When you're done, the programs scour your return for potential problems and erroneous data and let you correct them. Then, poof! Either print out your 1040 and related documents or follow the software prompts to file electronically.
—
Kathy Yakal, PC Magazine, 9 Mar. 1999
Here we come face-to-face with the uncompromising rules of golf as Mr. Dobereiner recounts how Roberto de Vincenzo lost the 1968 Masters Tournament by a single stroke because he signed an erroneous scorecard.
—Robert R. Harris, New York Times Book Review, 21 Oct. 1984
To say truth, nothing is more erroneous than the common observation, that men who are ill-natured and quarrelsome when they are drunk, are very worthy persons when they are sober: for drink, in reality, doth not reverse nature, or create passions in men which did not exist in them before.
—Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, 1749
a poorly researched news article about the new virus that was filled with much erroneous information
Kathy Yakal, PC Magazine, 9 Mar. 1999
Here we come face-to-face with the uncompromising rules of golf as Mr. Dobereiner recounts how Roberto de Vincenzo lost the 1968 Masters Tournament by a single stroke because he signed an erroneous scorecard.
—Robert R. Harris, New York Times Book Review, 21 Oct. 1984
To say truth, nothing is more erroneous than the common observation, that men who are ill-natured and quarrelsome when they are drunk, are very worthy persons when they are sober: for drink, in reality, doth not reverse nature, or create passions in men which did not exist in them before.
—Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, 1749
a poorly researched news article about the new virus that was filled with much erroneous information
Recent Examples on the Web
Bowlin told the Statesman that alert was created by crews working in the area, leading to an erroneous message uploading to the system.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 20 Oct. 2025
Some were hastily informed that their firings were erroneous, but the experience rattled the CDC, an agency tasked with overseeing the national response to seasonal respiratory illnesses at a time when those illnesses typically spike.
—Michael Hiltzik, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
An art review on Friday about two Lu Yang exhibits in New York attributed an erroneous distinction to Lu Yang’s current exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image.
—New York Times, 15 Oct. 2025
The doctrine instructs that an erroneous fact in a story is not, by itself, sufficient for a defamation claim.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for erroneous
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 20 Oct. 2025
Some were hastily informed that their firings were erroneous, but the experience rattled the CDC, an agency tasked with overseeing the national response to seasonal respiratory illnesses at a time when those illnesses typically spike.
—Michael Hiltzik, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
An art review on Friday about two Lu Yang exhibits in New York attributed an erroneous distinction to Lu Yang’s current exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image.
—New York Times, 15 Oct. 2025
The doctrine instructs that an erroneous fact in a story is not, by itself, sufficient for a defamation claim.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for erroneous
Cite this Entry
“Erroneous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/erroneous. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
erroneous
adjective
er·ro·ne·ous
ir-ˈō-nē-əs
e-ˈrō-
: being wrong or inaccurate
especially
: being or containing an error
an erroneous report
erroneously
adverb
erroneousness
noun
Legal Definition
erroneous
adjective
er·ro·ne·ous
i-ˈrō-nē-əs, e-
: containing or characterized by error see also clearly erroneous
erroneously
adverb
erroneousness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share