What does errata mean?
Errata refers to errors in a printed work, most often presented as a formal list of mistakes alongside their corrections. It is the plural of the Latin-derived 'erratum' and belongs chiefly to the vocabulary of publishing, academia, and bibliography, where accuracy carries real weight. A publisher might append an errata sheet to a book, or circulate one after discovering that a chart mislabeled a variable or that dates were transposed. Because it signals that imperfections have been acknowledged and corrected, the word carries a slightly apologetic but professional connotation. In everyday speech it sounds distinctly formal; speakers usually say 'typos' or 'mistakes' instead. Grammatically it is traditionally plural, so careful writers pair it with plural verbs, although treating it as a singular collective noun ('the errata lists two omissions') is increasingly common. Knowing the word lets you read scholarly prefaces and colophons with confidence.
nounA list of errors and their corrections, especially one appended to or printed with a published book; the plural of 'erratum'.
- A printed list of corrigenda, noting errors in a published work together with their corrections.
- Errors or mistakes in a text, considered collectively.
"The publisher issued an errata slip listing three misprinted page numbers in the first edition."
"Readers who spotted mistakes were invited to submit them for the volume's errata page."
"The second printing incorporated all the errata from the first edition."
The standard plural is 'errata' itself, since the word is already the Latin plural of 'erratum'; 'erratas' is rare and generally avoided. Use 'erratum' for the singular.
"Each erratum in the manuscript was noted before publication."
Strictly speaking, a book's errata list is itself an admission of failure — printed errors catalogued by more printing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of errata
Errata comes directly from Latin erratum, meaning 'a thing strayed' or 'an error', the neuter past participle of errare, 'to wander or stray'. The word entered English in the early modern period as publishing conventions matured, retaining its Latin plural form while English adopted it. It shares this root with error, erratic, and erroneous, all tracing back to the same Latin verb for wandering off course.
Related word forms
How errata is actually used
Formal register, found mainly in publishing and academic contexts. Traditionally plural of 'erratum', but commonly treated as a mass noun taking a singular verb ('an errata was issued'). The singular 'erratums' is nonstandard.
Easily confused with errata
'Erratum' is the singular form referring to a single error, while 'errata' is its plural, though it is often used as a collective term for a list of corrections.
An eraser is a tool for rubbing out marks, whereas errata are printed errors and their corrections.