What does "error" mean?
The state, quality, or condition of being wrong.
Error
/ˈɛɹə/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The state, quality, or condition of being wrong.
- Grammar: error is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: fault, mistake, blunder, slip.
- Useful contrasts: computational accuracy, spanish computación, more accurate measurement.
- Usage evidence: You had better not repeat such an error.
How to use "error"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "error" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "error" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "error" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "error" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "error" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "fault" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "error", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The state, quality, or condition of being wrong. uncountable
""Am I in error in marking out the s in the word assistants used in the following manner?[…]""
- 2 a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention wordnet
- 3 A mistake; an accidental wrong action or a false statement not made deliberately. countable
"There was a large error in the accounts."
- 4 (baseball) a failure of a defensive player to make an out when normal play would have sufficed wordnet
- 5 Sin; transgression. countable, uncountable
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 inadvertent incorrectness wordnet
- 7 A failure to complete a task, usually involving a premature termination. countable
- 8 departure from what is ethically acceptable wordnet
- 9 The difference between a measured or calculated value and a true one. countable
- 10 a misconception resulting from incorrect information wordnet
- 11 A play which is scored as having been made incorrectly. countable
- 12 part of a statement that is not correct wordnet
- 13 One or more mistakes in a trial that could be grounds for review of the judgement. uncountable
- 14 (computer science) the occurrence of an incorrect result produced by a computer wordnet
- 15 Any alteration in the DNA chemical structure occurring during DNA replication, recombination or repairing. countable, uncountable
- 16 An unintentional deviation from the inherent rules of a language variety made by a second language learner. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To function improperly due to an error, especially accompanied by error message.
"The web-page took a long time to load and errored out."
- 2 To show or contain an error or fault.
"The block transmission errored near the start and could not be received."
- 3 To err. nonstandard
"Pixels which are mathematically outside of a triangle, but which are included for anti-aliasing purposes can be generated with colour and depth information outside of the valid range. The ADE should identify these cases and clamp the output to the minimum or maximum value depending on the direction it has errored in."
Antonyms
computational accuracyspanish computaciónmore accurate measurementthe answer
Example
"You had better not repeat such an error."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "error"?
Common synonyms include: fault, mistake, blunder, slip, aberration, abomination.
How do you use "error" in a sentence?
You had better not repeat such an error.
How do you pronounce "error"?
Pronounced /ˈɛɹə/.
Etymology
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).