errant

[ er-uhnt ]
See synonyms for errant on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. deviating from the regular or proper course; erring; straying.

  2. journeying or traveling, as a medieval knight in quest of adventure; roving adventurously.

  1. moving in an aimless or lightly changing manner: an errant breeze.

Origin of errant

1
1300–50; 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

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British Dictionary definitions for errant

errant

/ (ˈɛrənt) /


adjective(often postpositive)
  1. archaic, or literary wandering in search of adventure

  2. erring or straying from the right course or accepted standards

Origin of errant

1
C14: 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