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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
Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 May 2024
That footage and a FaceTime video that also recorded a portion of what happened raise questions about whether the shooting was justified, as police claim — or whether the sheriff’s deputy erred in entering the wrong apartment, catching the airman off guard, as his family’s attorneys say.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for err 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'err.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near err
Cite this Entry
“Err.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/err. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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err
intransitive verb
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