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

• 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

Now, a new leak suggests Apple is erring toward an even brighter shade of orange than many had expected. —PC Magazine, 30 July 2025

If Bell refuses to order racing teams to divulge financial information and permits NASCAR to be accused of unfairly sharing revenue, and if NASCAR loses the trial, NASCAR would be armed with a potential appellate argument that Bell erred. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 19 June 2025

Get it? Without getting into the constitutional lines Yellen was arguably crossing, it will just be said that Yellen erred in colluding with other nations to raise taxes not just on individuals in the U.S., but individuals around the world. —John Tamny, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025

The appeals court's December decision found that District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan did not err in allowing the testimony of two women who made claims on the stand of alleged encounters with Trump that bore similarities to Carroll's. —Graham Kates, CBS News, 13 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French errer, from Latin errare to wander, err; akin to Old English ierre wandering, perverse, Goth airzeis deceived

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