rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryerrorMistake
noun

error

AIR-er/ˈerər/

A departure from what is correct or accurate.

The red pencil marks an error in the arithmetic sum.

Red pencil marks incorrect arithmetic 2+2=5.
Etymology
errorLatinwandering; mistake

Latin error meant both wandering and a mistake. The connection is figurative: an incorrect judgment or action is a straying from the path of truth or correctness.

In context

TED-Ed3:39
there’s still room for the most common kind of mistake: human error. Many human errors are inconsequential: a researcher spills a sample
What happens if an engineered virus escapes the lab?

More examples

  • Please check your work for spelling errors.
  • The package was sent to our address in error.
  • The scale reads two pounds high, so its error is two pounds.

Forms

error · errors

err verb — To make a mistake or misjudge.

erroneous adjective — Incorrect or based on a mistake.

Similar words

mistake
Usually emphasizes a wrong action, choice, or judgment.
inaccuracy
Emphasizes a lack of correctness in facts or measurements.