# erroneously

/ɛˈɹoʊniəsɫi/ (US) · /ɛɹˈəʊniəsli/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adverb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/erroneously
Updated: 2026-05-09

## Definition

in a way that is wrong or based on a mistake.

For teachers: in a mistaken or incorrect manner; based on an error in fact or logic.

## Examples

- The computer erroneously flagged the file as a virus.
- The bank erroneously credited her account with an extra thousand dollars due to a software glitch.
- Historians once erroneously believed the ruins dated back to the Bronze Age, but modern carbon dating has since corrected that timeline to the medieval period.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The data was erroneously." but "The data was erroneous." — Learners often use the adverb 'erroneously' when the adjective 'erroneous' is required after a linking verb like 'be'.

## Usage notes

- Typically placed before the verb it modifies or at the end of the clause.

---

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.