Error — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈer-ər/ er·ror

Meaning & Definition of Error

Error (noun)

  1. an act or condition of ignorant or imprudent deviation from a code of behavior
  2. an act involving an unintentional deviation from truth or accuracy
  3. an act that through ignorance, deficiency, or accident departs from or fails to achieve what should be done

Error (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy

    "a report on the earthquake contained several unfortunate errors"

    similar: blunder, bobble, boob (British), boo-boo, brick, clanger (British), clinker, fault, flub, fluff, fumble, gaff, gaffe, goof, inaccuracy, lapse, miscue, misstep, mistake, oversight, screwup, slip, slipup, stumble, trip
    related: bloomer, blooper, boner, howler, pratfall, foul-up, snafu, misapprehension, miscalculation, miscomprehension, misconception, misconstruction, misdescription, misimpression, misinterpretation, misjudgment, misreading, misstatement, misunderstanding
    near: accuracy, correctness, exactitude, exactness, preciseness, precision, strictness, inerrancy, infallibility, perfection

  2. a breaking of a moral or legal code

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

    similar: breach, crime, debt, lawbreaking, malefaction, misdeed, misdoing, offense, sin, transgression, trespass, violation, wrongdoing
    related: bias crime, hate crime, felony, misconduct, misdemeanor, misfeasance, fault, foible, peccadillo, break, infringement, immorality, iniquitousness, iniquity, sinfulness, vice, wickedness, corruption, debauchery, depravity, licentiousness, abuse, criminality, illegality, lawlessness, unlawfulness, descent, downfall, fall
    opposite: noncrime
    near: blamelessness, faultlessness, guiltlessness, impeccability, innocence, irreproachability, goodness, morality, righteousness, virtue, virtuousness

  3. a false idea or belief

    "the story only spread the error by repeating the misinterpreted statistics"

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

Related Entry: Trial and error (noun)

Trial and error is a different word from Error. The synonyms below are for trial and error, not for error.

  1. as in test, dry run

    similar: essay, experiment, experimentation, test, trial, exercise, practice, rehearsal, tryout, workout, attempt, effort, try, dry run, shakedown, crucible, ordeal

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Error

The most common words with a similar meaning to Error:

British: boob, clanger
blunder, bobble, boo-boo, brick, clinker, fault, flub, fluff, fumble, gaff, gaffe, goof, inaccuracy, lapse, miscue, misstep, mistake, oversight, screwup, slip, slipup, stumble, trip, breach, crime, debt, lawbreaking, malefaction, misdeed, misdoing, offense, sin, transgression, trespass, violation, wrongdoing, delusion, fallacy, falsehood, falsity

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Error

Words with the opposite meaning of Error:

noncrime, truth, verity

Related Words for Error

bloomer, blooper, boner, howler, pratfall, foul-up, snafu, misapprehension, miscalculation, miscomprehension, misconstruction, misdescription, misimpression, misinterpretation, misjudgment, misreading, misstatement, misunderstanding, bias crime, hate crime, felony, misconduct, misdemeanor, misfeasance, foible, peccadillo, break, infringement, immorality, iniquitousness

Near Antonyms of Error

accuracy, correctness, exactitude, exactness, preciseness, precision, strictness, inerrancy, infallibility, perfection, blamelessness, faultlessness, guiltlessness, impeccability, innocence, irreproachability, goodness, morality, righteousness, virtue, virtuousness

Word Forms of Error

Derived words: errorless (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Error

Middle English errour "false opinion or belief, deviation from truth, sin, fault, defect," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French errur, errour "mistake, false belief, sin," borrowed from Latin errōr-, error "travel on an uncertain course, wandering, deviation from a path, mistake (in thought or action), moral lapse," from errāre "to wander, roam, drift, be in doubt or uncertainty, act in error, be mistaken" + -ōr-, -or, deverbal suffix of state err

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Error

Words & Phrases Containing Error

error bar, error in judgment, error message, standard error, systematic error, trial and error, type I error, type II error, writ of error

Frequently Asked Questions about Error

What does "Error" mean?

"Error" means an act or condition of ignorant or imprudent deviation from a code of behavior. As a noun, it is defined as: an act or condition of ignorant or imprudent deviation from a code of behavior. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Error"?

Other words for "Error" include blunder, bobble, boob, boo-boo, brick, clanger, clinker and fault. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Error" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Error"?

There are 112 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Error". Common alternatives include blunder, bobble, boob, boo-boo, brick, clanger, clinker, fault, flub and fluff.

What is the opposite of "Error"?

Antonyms of "Error" include noncrime, truth and verity. Near antonyms include accuracy, correctness, exactitude and exactness.

How do you use "Error" in a sentence?

Examples of "Error" in a sentence: "a report on the earthquake contained several unfortunate errors"; "we have all committed errors in our lives and strayed from the path of righteousness"; "the story only spread the error by repeating the misinterpreted statistics".

Is "Error" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Error" is a noun.

Is "Error" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Error" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Error"?

"Error" is pronounced /ˈer-ər/ and divided into syllables as er·ror.