What does erring mean?
Erring is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'err', meaning to make a mistake, form a wrong judgment, or stray from what is correct or morally right. It carries a distinctly formal tone: you will meet it more often in legal opinions, academic writing, and moral or religious discussion than in everyday chat. By far its commonest modern home is the idiom 'erring on the side of caution', where it signals choosing the safer course when uncertain — for example, cancelling a flight when weather conditions look doubtful. Beyond that idiom, phrases such as 'forgive the erring' preserve its older, ethical sense of human fallibility. The word traces back through Middle English and Old French to the Latin verb errare, 'to wander or stray', the same root that gives us 'error', 'erratic', and 'erroneous'. That image of wandering off course still quietly underlies the word: to err is, literally, to lose one's way, which is why erring has long been treated not simply as being wrong, but as going astray.
Making a mistake or being incorrect; straying from what is right or proper.
"Doctors erring in their diagnosis can face serious professional consequences."
Chiefly formal; most frequent today in the idiom 'erring on the side of caution'.
(Gerund) The act or fact of committing mistakes or moral faults.
"Erring is part of every learning process, and wise teachers make room for it."
Used mainly in formal or moralizing contexts; often paired with words like 'human' or 'fallibility'.
In non-rhotic British English, 'erring' sounds almost identical to 'airing' — which makes 'erring on the side of caution' a phrase people sometimes accidentally write as 'airing' on the side of caution.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of erring
Erring comes from the verb 'err', which entered Middle English from Old French 'errer', itself deriving from Latin 'errare', meaning 'to wander, stray, or go astray'. The same Latin root underlies 'error', 'erratic', 'erroneous', and 'aberration', all preserving the core idea of deviation from a correct path. In older English usage, particularly in religious contexts, 'erring' carried strong connotations of moral straying — hence expressions like 'the erring ways of sinners' — while modern usage leans toward the neutral sense of making a factual or practical mistake.
Related word forms
How erring is actually used
'Erring' belongs chiefly to formal registers — legal, academic, and moral discourse — and is rare in casual conversation. The fixed phrase 'erring on the side of caution' is by far its most common modern use, so much so that some speakers encounter it mainly there. Because 'err' itself is increasingly perceived as literary, 'erring' can sound slightly old-fashioned outside set phrases.
Easily confused with erring
'Airing' means exposing something to air or broadcasting it, while 'erring' means making a mistake — they sound similar in many British accents but have unrelated meanings.