adjective
erroneous
ih-ROH-nee-us/ɪˈrəʊniəs/
Incorrect or based on a mistake.
The counters expose the slate's arithmetic answer as erroneous.
Etymology
Latin erroneus meant “vagrant” or “wandering” before acquiring the sense “mistaken.” The shift connects physical wandering with intellectual error: an erroneous belief or statement has strayed from what is correct.
In context
What would it say if the law contains a load of erroneous decisions, a load of incorrect decisions?
More examples
- An erroneous address sends the package to the wrong house.
- She challenges the erroneous assumption that all snakes are dangerous.
- We correct the erroneous dates before printing the invitations.
Forms
erroneously adverb — In an incorrect or mistaken way.
Similar words
- incorrect
- A broader term for anything not accurate or right.
- mistaken
- Often describes people or beliefs based on faulty understanding.
- inaccurate
- Specifically emphasizes a failure to match facts or measurements.