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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.
Examples of err in a Sentence
Nate Eaton, Idaho Statesman, 9 June 2025
With a boat party on the Seine, luxe shopping stop-offs, and cocktails on the rooftop of the Cheval Blanc hotel, the dress code erred less tiaras and novelty bachelorette shirts and more clingy gowns, sheer skirts, and corsets.
—Vogue, 29 May 2025
Did Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault err in sticking with his fouling strategy with Nikola Jokic off the court?
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 7 May 2025
Harvard has erred in its handling of campus antisemitism, but the school must be doing something right.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for err
Cite this Entry
“Err.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/err. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
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err
intransitive verb
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