Erroneous

Practice This Word

Containing or based on a mistake; incorrect or misleading.

adjective

Erroneous

Containing or based on a mistake; incorrect or misleading.

adjective

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Imagine This

Picture a science report with a chart whose numbers are off by a consistent margin; every conclusion the author states is erroneous because the data are wrong.

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Sounds Like

ih-ROH-nee-us

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Looks Like

Looks like 'error' plus the suffix -ous; visually hints at its meaning.

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Remember This

Erroneous shares its root with 'error' and comes from Latin errare, meaning to wander or err. Remember the phrase 'To err is human' to connect to its meaning.

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Other Forms

errornoun

erroneouslyadverb

erroneousnessnoun

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Connect With

incorrect, inaccurate, false, fallacious, flawed

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Note

Erroneous is formal and often used in academic or legal contexts. It describes conclusions, beliefs, or statements that contain errors rather than simply being imprecise.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The report was found to be erroneous due to false data entries.
Her assumption about the cause of the outbreak was erroneous and led to faulty conclusions.

Synonyms

incorrectinaccuratefalsefaultymisleadingfallacious

Antonyms

correctaccuratetruevalid

Etymology

From Latin errare ‘to wander, to err’ + -ous, meaning ‘full of errors’.

Mnemonic

Erroneous signals contain ERR (to err) and ONE (there is at least one error); remember that an erroneous statement is full of errors.