Idiom
err on the side of caution
Meaning
To act in the least risky manner in a situation in which one is uncertain about the consequences.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I will err on the side of caution and take an umbrella.”
“Since the weather report is uncertain, it is better to err on the side of caution and cancel the outdoor event.”
“In the absence of clear data, the committee decided to err on the side of caution, opting for a conservative investment strategy to protect their long-term assets.”
Examples
simple
“I will err on the side of caution and take an umbrella.”
contextual
“Since the weather report is uncertain, it is better to err on the side of caution and cancel the outdoor event.”
complex
“In the absence of clear data, the committee decided to err on the side of caution, opting for a conservative investment strategy to protect their long-term assets.”
Key words
Related idioms
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