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Is it human to err?
Many people are familiar with the word err from encountering it in the epigram “to err is human; to forgive, divine.” This phrase is found in Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Criticism, from 1711. Earlier expressions of the same sentiment exist, as in Thomas Jones’ 1678 book, Of the Heart, and its Right Soveraign, which contains the line “to err, is human, to recover, is Angelical; to persevere is Diabolical.”
Err is also often found in the phrase err on the side of caution, to suggest that being overly cautious is better than not being cautious enough.
Err stems from the Latin word errare, meaning “to stray, wander,” and it retained that meaning when it first entered English. We find the same Latin ancestor at the root of the words error, erratic, and erroneous.
Synonyms
Examples of err in a Sentence
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Twitter executives have defended their actions in 2020 as an attempt to avoid giving incentives for cyberattacks on a presidential campaign, though ex-CEO Jack Dorsey has said that, in hindsight, the company erred.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
This one errs on the repair end of the spectrum, utilizing vitamin E, shea butter, and botanical oils to treat brittle strands.
—Iman Balagam, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024
While there was no dispute the Times erred, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff dismissed Palin’s case while a New York jury was deliberating.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for err 
Dictionary Entries Near err
Cite this Entry
“Err.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/err. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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err
intransitive verb
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