# erroneous

/ɛˈɹoʊniəs/ (US) · /ɛɹˈəʊniəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/erroneous
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. incorrect or mistaken

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal · Academic

wrong or based on a mistake.

For teachers: containing or derived from an error; inaccurate or based on a false premise.

- The newspaper had to apologize for the erroneous information in yesterday's report.
- The researcher's conclusions were ultimately found to be erroneous because the initial data set had been contaminated during collection.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it describes.

Teaching tip: Learners often use 'wrong' or 'incorrect' in every situation; 'erroneous' is a high-level alternative for formal writing, especially when discussing logic or data.

### 2. legal but flawed

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical · Formal

describes a legal decision that follows the rules but is still wrong in some way.

For teachers: deviating from the specific requirements of the law while still maintaining legal authority; not necessarily void or illegal.

- The judge's ruling was considered erroneous, but it remained in effect until the appeal.
- The appellate court determined that while the lower court's procedure was erroneous, the error did not significantly prejudice the outcome of the trial.

Teaching tip: This is a highly specialized legal sense. In general English, the word simply means 'wrong'.

## Examples

- The news report was based on erroneous information.
- The lawyer argued that the jury reached their verdict based on erroneous evidence that should have been excluded.
- The scientific community eventually rejected the theory after several peer-reviewed studies proved that the initial calculations were erroneous due to a faulty sensor in the laboratory.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.