errant

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈɛrənt/ UK /ˈɛrənt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
straying from the proper course or standards; wandering

An errant golf ball shattered the greenhouse window.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · straying from the proper... wandering strayingrovingroaming deviant wayward

Opposites

dutiful obedient compliant

Word family

Derived forms errantryerrantly

Related forms err error erratic aberrant arrant

Etymology

From Old French errant, present participle of errer 'to travel, wander', from Latin errare 'to wander, stray' (partly conflated with Latin iterare 'to journey').

errant Old French errare Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# errant

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈɛrənt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɛrənt/

## Meanings
1. straying from the proper course or standards; wandering

## Examples
- An errant golf ball shattered the greenhouse window.

## Synonyms
- wandering
- straying
- roving
- roaming
- deviant
- wayward

## Antonyms
- dutiful
- obedient
- compliant

## Derived Forms
- errantry
- errantly

## Related Forms
- err
- error
- erratic
- aberrant
- arrant

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: errant
- Root: errare

## Etymology
From Old French errant, present participle of errer 'to travel, wander', from Latin errare 'to wander, stray' (partly conflated with Latin iterare 'to journey').

## AI Etymology
Errant is from Old French errant, present participle of errer 'to travel, wander', from Latin errare 'to wander, stray' (partly conflated with Latin iterare 'to journey'). Important recorded forms include errant (Old French) and errare (Latin). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers straying from the proper course or standards; wandering. The wider family includes derived forms such as errantry and errantly and related words such as err, error, erratic, and aberrant.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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