Synonyms of error

error

noun

ˈer-ər 

1

as in mistake

an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy

a report on the earthquake contained several unfortunate errors

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mistake
• blunder
• inaccuracy
• miscue
• fault
• fumble
• stumble
• misstep
• flub
• gaffe
• goof
• brick
• screwup
• trip
• lapse
• slipup
• oversight
• gaff
• bobble
• slip
• clinker
• clanger
• boob
• fluff
• boo-boo
• misunderstanding
• blooper
• howler
• snafu
• misstatement
• misjudgment
• misinterpretation
• miscalculation
• misconception
• pratfall
• misreading
• misconstruction
• miscomprehension
• bloomer
• misdescription
• misapprehension
• misimpression
• boner
• foul-up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accuracy
• precision
• correctness
• exactness
• strictness
• exactitude
• perfection
• preciseness
• infallibility
• inerrancy

2

as in violation

a breaking of a moral or legal code

we have all committed errors in our lives and strayed from the path of righteousness

Synonyms & Similar Words

• violation
• crime
• sin
• wrongdoing
• felony
• misdeed
• transgression
• trespass
• debt
• sinfulness
• offense
• breach
• misconduct
• lawbreaking
• malefaction
• misdoing
• infringement
• hate crime
• misdemeanor
• fault
• foible
• corruption
• misfeasance
• bias crime
• abuse
• wickedness
• immorality
• illegality
• criminality
• unlawfulness
• iniquity
• depravity
• peccadillo
• licentiousness
• vice
• iniquitousness
• debauchery
• lawlessness
• downfall
• break
• fall
• descent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• innocence
• blamelessness
• impeccability
• noncrime
• virtue
• goodness
• morality
• righteousness
• faultlessness
• guiltlessness
• irreproachability
• virtuousness

3

as in delusion

a false idea or belief

the story only spread the error by repeating the misinterpreted statistics

Synonyms & Similar Words

• delusion
• illusion
• myth
• misunderstanding
• superstition
• misconception
• fallacy
• falsehood
• untruth
• hallucination
• falsity
• misbelief
• distortion
• old wives' tale
• inaccuracy
• misjudgment
• misinterpretation
• misstatement
• misrepresentation
• lie
• pretense
• misperception
• misinformation
• tale
• misapprehension
• fiction
• miscomprehension
• factoid
• sophism
• sophistry
• story
• fib
• misknowledge
• misreport
• half-truth

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• truth
• verity

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun error differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of error are blunder, lapse, mistake, and slip. While all these words mean "a departure from what is true, right, or proper," error suggests the existence of a standard or guide and a straying from the right course through failure to make effective use of this.

procedural errors

When would blunder be a good substitute for error?

While the synonyms blunder and error are close in meaning, blunder regularly imputes stupidity or ignorance as a cause and connotes some degree of blame.

diplomatic blunders

When can lapse be used instead of error?

The words lapse and error are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lapse stresses forgetfulness, weakness, or inattention as a cause.

a lapse in judgment

When is it sensible to use mistake instead of error?

In some situations, the words mistake and error are roughly equivalent. However, mistake implies misconception or inadvertence and usually expresses less criticism than error.

dialed the wrong number by mistake

When could slip be used to replace error?

Although the words slip and error have much in common, slip stresses inadvertence or accident and applies especially to trivial but embarrassing mistakes.

a slip of the tongue

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of error

The survey polled 1,045 retirees in January with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026

The State Board of Elections voted along party lines to direct county officials to reject certain absentee ballots for certain errors that previously would not have prevented a vote from being counted. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026

Most players largely celebrate their own successes, rather than their opponents’ errors, and antics like those supposedly violate the sport’s unwritten behavioral codes. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

As manual work-arounds increase, so does the potential for more errors and inconsistent information being shared. — Farzana Abdulhusein, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026