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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
Dan Duggan, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Notice errant sweatshirts on a lounge chair?
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2025
In addition to the five sacks, the defensive front had five QB pressures, forcing him into errant throws.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 Sep. 2025
Indeed, Hammond would quickly move to land several more roles over the next decade — including another landmark pop culture touchstone, a guest spot on The Brady Bunch as the handsome high schooler who loses interest in Marcia after her nose is briefly disfigured by an errant football.
—Scott Huver, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for errant
Cite this Entry
“Errant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/errant. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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errant
adjective
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