Main Entry: er·ror

Pronunciation: \ˈer-ər, ˈe-rər\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English errour, from Anglo-French, from Latin error, from errare

Date: 13th century

1 a : an act or condition of ignorant or imprudent deviation from a code of behavior b : an act involving an unintentional deviation from truth or accuracy <made an error in adding up the bill> c : an act that through ignorance, deficiency, or accident departs from or fails to achieve what should be done <an error in judgment>: as (1) : a defensive misplay other than a wild pitch or passed ball made by a baseball player when normal play would have resulted in an out or prevented an advance by a base runner (2) : the failure of a player (as in tennis) to make a successful return of a ball during play d : a mistake in the proceedings of a court of record in matters of law or of fact
2 a : the quality or state of erring <the map is in error> b Christian Science : illusion about the nature of reality that is the cause of human suffering : the contradiction of truth c : an instance of false belief
3 : something produced by mistake <a typographical error>; especially : a postage stamp exhibiting a consistent flaw (as a wrong color) in its manufacture
4 a : the difference between an observed or calculated value and a true value; specifically : variation in measurements, calculations, or observations of a quantity due to mistakes or to uncontrollable factors b : the amount of deviation from a standard or specification
5 : a deficiency or imperfection in structure or function <an error of metabolism>

— er·ror·less \-ləs\ adjective

synonyms error, mistake, blunder, slip, lapse mean a departure from what is true, right, or proper. error suggests the existence of a standard or guide and a straying from the right course through failure to make effective use of this <procedural errors>. mistake implies misconception or inadvertence and usually expresses less criticism than error <dialed the wrong number by mistake>. blunder regularly imputes stupidity or ignorance as a cause and connotes some degree of blame <diplomatic blunders>. slip stresses inadvertence or accident and applies especially to trivial but embarrassing mistakes <a slip of the tongue>. lapse stresses forgetfulness, weakness, or inattention as a cause <a lapse in judgment>.