What does erratum mean?
An erratum is a mistake in a printed or published work — a factual slip, misprint, or typographical fault that has been formally identified. Publishers traditionally acknowledge such errors by issuing an 'errata' sheet or notice listing each correction, so the word carries a distinctly formal, editorial flavour. You will most often meet it in academic journals, scholarly books, newspapers, and technical documentation, where accuracy matters enough that errors must be publicly owned rather than quietly fixed. Because it comes from the Latin verb 'errare', meaning 'to wander' or 'to stray', an erratum is literally a place where the text has wandered off course. The plural 'errata' is itself widely used as a mass noun for collected corrections. For writers and readers alike, 'erratum' signals accountability and precision: it names not just any blunder, but one significant enough to warrant official correction.
nounA mistake in a printed or published text; an error that has been formally noted and corrected, often listed on a separate 'errata' page.
- An error in a printed or published work, especially one formally acknowledged and corrected.
"The second printing of the book includes an erratum correcting the date of the treaty."
"Readers who spotted the erratum were invited to submit corrections to the publisher."
"The journal issued an erratum noting that Figure 3 had been mislabeled."
The Latin plural 'errata' is standard; it is frequently treated as a singular mass noun referring to a list of corrections.
"The first edition's errata were compiled into a single insert for later printings."
When books get things wrong, they don't apologize — they publish an 'errata' list, using a word Latin scholars have been reaching for since antiquity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of erratum
The word 'erratum' comes directly from Latin, where it is the neuter form of the past participle of 'errare', meaning 'to wander, to go astray, to make mistakes'. It entered English in the late 16th or early 17th century through scholarly and publishing contexts, retaining its Latin plural 'errata'. It shares this root with 'error', 'erratic', 'errant', and 'aberration', all descendants of the same Latin verb describing wandering from a proper path.
Related word forms
How erratum is actually used
Formal register, used chiefly in publishing, academia, and journalism. The Latin plural 'errata' is standard when referring collectively to such corrections; 'erratums' is rare and generally avoided.
Easily confused with erratum
An 'error' is any mistake in general use, while an 'erratum' specifically denotes a published or printed error, typically acknowledged in a formal correction.