All Words > Errant

illustration Errant

Errant

[EHR-ənt]

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: French, 15th century

1.

Erring or straying from the proper course or standards.

2.

Traveling in search of adventure.

Examples of Errant in a sentence

"An errant seagull ended up in my bathroom when I left the window open."

"My brother believes any errant French fries that fall off my plate are free for him to eat."

About Errant

“Errant” came into English through the French “errant,” based originally in the Latin “errāre,” meaning “to stray.”

Did you Know?

In its earliest meaning, “errant” (as in “a knight errant”) referred to a state of being an itinerant traveler, often in search of adventure. In modern use, the term refers to a stray state, in which a thing or person moves or behaves unpredictably and not according to an accepted course.

illustration Errant

Recent Words

What's the word?