errant

adjective

er·​rant ˈer-ənt How to pronounce errant (audio)
ˈe-rənt
1
a
: behaving wrongly
an errant child
b
: straying outside the proper path or bounds
an errant calf
c
: moving about aimlessly or irregularly
an errant breeze
d
2
: traveling or given to traveling
an errant knight
errant noun
errantly adverb

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

The teacher blamed the prank on errant students. the errant gunslinger as a standard character in western novels
Recent Examples on the Web With New York second baseman Jeff McNeil sidelined for the season after an errant pitch fractured his wrist and Francisco Lindor resting a minor back injury Saturday, Acuña is getting his first look at the big-league level. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2024 Before an errant missile strikes a ship, every Houthi antiship missile launch should be matched with a U.S. action against Iran. Carter Malkasian, Foreign Affairs, 20 Sep. 2024 Carry some extra pairs to throw in the path of any errant steam rollers (hopefully piloted by a masc lesbian), just for added pizzazz. Evelyn Bauer, Them, 4 Sep. 2024 Mark Garlick Some 66 million years ago, an errant asteroid wiped out three-quarters of all plant and animal species on Earth, most notably taking down the dinosaurs. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for errant 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'errant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English erraunt, from Anglo-French errant, present participle of errer to err & errer to travel, from Late Latin iterare, from Latin iter road, journey — more at itinerant

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of errant was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near errant

Cite this Entry

“Errant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/errant. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

errant

adjective
er·​rant ˈer-ənt How to pronounce errant (audio)
1
a
: moving around from place to place without apparent purpose or goal
b
: wandering in search of adventure
an errant knight
2
a
: straying outside proper bounds
an errant calf
b
: behaving or having behaved badly or wrongfully
errantry
-ən-trē
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on errant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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