errant
[ er-uhnt ]
adjective
deviating from the regular or proper course; erring; straying.
journeying or traveling, as a medieval knight in quest of adventure; roving adventurously.
moving in an aimless or lightly changing manner: an errant breeze.
Origin of errant
11300–50; Middle English erraunt<Middle French, Old French errant, present participle of errer, edrer to travel <Vulgar Latin *iterāre to journey, for Late Latin itinerārī, derivative of iter, stem itiner- journey (see itinerary); confused with Middle French errant, present participle of errer to err
Other words from errant
- er·rant·ly, adverb
- non·er·rant, adjective
- non·er·rant·ly, adverb
- un·er·rant, adjective
- un·er·rant·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with errant
- arrant, errant
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for errant
errant
/ (ˈɛrənt) /
adjective(often postpositive)
archaic, or literary wandering in search of adventure
erring or straying from the right course or accepted standards
Origin of errant
1C14: from Old French: journeying, from Vulgar Latin iterāre (unattested), from Latin iter journey; influenced by Latin errāre to err
Derived forms of errant
- errantly, adverb
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
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