error
n. C / Un. a mistake or something that is not correct. You use this word when a calculation, a fact, or a computer program is wrong.
n. a mistake or inaccuracy resulting from poor judgment, deficient knowledge, or carelessness. Often used in technical contexts to describe the difference between a computed value and the true value.
The computer screen shows a system error.
The accountant found a small error in the spreadsheet that changed the final total.
While the experimental results appeared promising, a systematic error in the calibration of the sensors eventually invalidated the entire dataset.
From Middle English errour, from Anglo-Norman errour, borrowed from Old French error, from Latin error (“wandering about”, noun), derived from the verb errō (“to wander, to err”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌶𐌴𐌹 (airzei, “error”), Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌽 (airzjan, “to lead astray”). More at err. By surface analysis, err + -or (suffix forming nouns of quality, state, or condition).
Commonly used with the verbs 'make', 'commit', or 'contain'. In technical fields, it often refers to a measurable deviation rather than a human mistake.
I did an errorI made an errorCollocation error: the noun 'error' typically pairs with the verb 'make', not 'do'.