Added 9 October 2026
error
/ˈɛɹə/ noun
In Latin: error Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about error at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
A wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention.
he made a bad mistake
- Inadvertent incorrectness.
- A misconception resulting from incorrect information.
Origin
From Middle English errour, from Anglo-Norman errour, borrowed from Old French error, from Latin error (“wandering about”, noun), derived from the verb errō (“to wander, to err”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌶𐌴𐌹 (airzei, “error”), Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌽 (airzjan, “to lead astray”). More at err. By surface analysis, err + -or (suffix forming nouns of quality, state, or condition). Displaced native Old English dwild (“error”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)