error
a deviation from accuracy or correctness; a mistake, as in action or speech: His speech contained several factual errors.
belief in something untrue; the holding of mistaken opinions.
the condition of believing what is not true: in error about the date.
a moral offense; wrongdoing; sin.
Baseball. a misplay that enables a base runner to reach base safely or advance a base, or a batter to have a turn at bat prolonged, as the dropping of a ball batted in the air, the fumbling of a batted or thrown ball, or the throwing of a wild ball, but not including a passed ball or wild pitch.
Mathematics. the difference between the observed or approximately determined value and the true value of a quantity.
Law.
a mistake in a matter of fact or law in a case tried in a court of record.
Philately. a stamp distinguished by an error or errors in design, engraving, selection of inks, or setting up of the printing apparatus.: Compare freak1 (def. 5), variety (def. 7).
Origin of error
1synonym study For error
Other words for error
Other words from error
- er·ror·less, adjective
- er·ror·less·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use error in a sentence
The genetic material can grow quickly, but are typically riddled with errors or defects.
Such errors are important because generations of young students now learn American history through film.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’ | Gary May | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTUPDATE: Managing editor Will Dana took greater responsibility for Rolling Stone's errors in a series of tweets Friday evening.
Rolling Stone Said Yesterday U-VA Rape Story Was ‘Entirely Credible’ | Lloyd Grove | December 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe Obama administration ignored calls for help and committed “fatal errors and possible crimes” in its response.
Congress Debunks Congress’s Nuttiest Benghazi Theories | Ben Jacobs | November 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe processing errors of her mind manifested in a few debilitating ways: Her wagers, written with Jeopardy!
Jeopardy! Champion Julia Collins’s Brain Feels Like Mush | Sujay Kumar | November 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
I claim that it contains many errors of fact, and the Higher Criticism supports the claim; as we shall see.
God and my Neighbour | Robert BlatchfordHe would impeach all his partners, acknowledge his errors, and promise once more to reform.
This letter indirectly points out two long-standing radical errors in engineering phraseology.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2) | Francis TrevithickObvious printing errors have been corrected, while minor irregularities in the spelling have been retained.
Even slight familiarity with the microscopic structure of vegetable tissue will prevent the chagrin of such errors.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
British Dictionary definitions for error
/ (ˈɛrə) /
a mistake or inaccuracy, as in action or speech: a typing error
an incorrect belief or wrong judgment
the condition of deviating from accuracy or correctness, as in belief, action, or speech: he was in error about the train times
deviation from a moral standard; wrongdoing: he saw the error of his ways
maths statistics a measure of the difference between some quantity and an approximation to or estimate of it, often expressed as a percentage: an error of 5%
statistics See type I error, type II error
Origin of error
1Derived forms of error
- error-free, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with error
see comedy of errors; trial and error.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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