err

verb

ˈer  ˈər 

erred; erring; errs

intransitive verb

1

a

: to make a mistake

erred in his calculations

erred on the side of caution

b

: to violate an accepted standard of conduct

2

archaic : stray

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms of err

• stumble
• fumble
• trip
• blunder

Examples of err in a Sentence

I may have erred in my calculations.

The court erred in refusing to allow bail.

Recent Examples on the Web

Wearing a little top that errs on lingerie makes this outfit strike the perfect balance of androgyny and femininity. —Jennifer Hussein, InStyle, 20 June 2026

Two years ago, CMS had to redo Medicare Advantage star ratings after federal judges said the government erred with its original calculations. —Bob Herman, STAT, 18 June 2026

Outfit 10 In the summer, my style errs on the casual side, but the Original Contour Presence Cami Tank takes my look to the next level while maintaining my comfort. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 15 June 2026

His path has been blocked by Jan Paul van Hecke’s performances on the right side of central defender, but the Italian is physically equipped for the rigours of the Premier League and, at 22, there is room to develop his distribution, which tends to err on the side of safety. —Andy Naylor, New York Times, 15 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English erren "to wander, roam, deviate from righteousness or truth, make a mistake," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French errer "to hold mistaken beliefs, make a mistake," going back to Latin errāre "to wander, roam, drift, be in doubt or uncertainty, act in error, be mistaken," going back to pre-Latin *ers-āje-, going back to Indo-European *h₁ers-ah₂i̯e/o- (whence also Armenian eṙam "am restless, seethe"), presumably denominal from *h₁ers-o- or *h₁ers-ah₂; also from this base a series of derivatives in Germanic, as Old English ierre, eorre "gone astray, perverted, enraged," iersian "to be angry, rage," Old Saxon irre "misguided, angry," irron "to roam about," Old High German irri "wandering, confused,' irren "to lead astray," Gothic airzeis "deceived, in error," airzjan "to mislead"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing err

• err on the side of
• err on the side of caution
• to err is human

Rhymes for err

• air
• ayre
• bahr
• bare
• blare
• care
• chair
• claire
• ere
• eyre
• fair
• fare

Kids Definition

err

verb

ˈe(ə)r  ˈər 

1

: to make a mistake

erred in my calculations

2

: to do wrong : sin

Legal Definition

err

intransitive verb

ˈer, ˈər 

: to make an error

the court erred in denying the motion