{
    "term": "error",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "academic": true,
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a mistake, especially one that causes problems or affects the result of something",
            "sensetop": "error in somethingerror in doing somethingerror of somethingin error",
            "labels": "especially British English",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "spelling/typographical/grammatical errors"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The report contains some factual errors that must be corrected."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They committed the fatal error of misjudging the weather conditions."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There are too many errors in your work.",
                    "contextForm": "error in something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I think you have **made an error** in calculating the total.",
                    "contextForm": "error in doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "A simple **error of judgement** meant that there was not enough food to go around.",
                    "contextForm": "error of something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "an error of fact/principle"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a serious/grave error"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a **glaring error** *(= a mistake that is very obvious)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The computer system was switched off in error *(= by mistake)*.",
                    "contextForm": "in error"
                },
                {
                    "text": "There is no **room for error** in this job."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His attempts to arrange a party ended up as a **comedy of errors** *(= he made so many mistakes it was funny)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Thousands of medical errors occur every year in the nation's hospitals."
                },
                {
                    "text": "No payments were made last week because of a computer error."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Almost all accidents start with a simple error by the pilot."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Do not repeat the errors of your parents and grandparents."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Have the courage to admit your error."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He checked his letter for errors in spelling."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I had committed a grave error in letting them see the document."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She made the fatal error of borrowing more than she could pay back."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He realized his error in not attending the funeral."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her research interests include measurement error in survey research."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I found several factual errors in the report."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I only realized my error when it was too late."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She has avoided the common error of writing too much."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He made several serious errors during the race."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Thank you for catching that silly error on my part."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The Kenyan athlete made a tactical error in starting too fast."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The ability to learn from past errors is vital in business."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The difference is due to a rounding error in the first calculation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The document contained a lot of typing errors."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The error was pointed out to her by one of her colleagues."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The minister had made an amazing error of judgement."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The paper accidentally printed the victim's address and then compounded their error by printing her name the next day."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The report contained some glaring errors."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The speech contained many errors of fact."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We regret the clerical error made in the letter sent to Mr Finlay."
                },
                {
                    "text": "errors arising from inadequate information"
                },
                {
                    "text": "errors caused by illegibly written orders"
                },
                {
                    "text": "machines with relatively high error rates"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the use of computer systems to reduce hospital errors"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He accused the prime minister of committing a serious error of judgement."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["egregious", "fundamental", "glaring"],
                "verb + error": ["commit", "make", "cause"],
                "error + verb": [
                    "arise (from something)",
                    "occur",
                    "result (from something)"
                ],
                "error + noun": ["detection", "correction", "message"],
                "preposition": ["in error", "error in"],
                "phrases": [
                    "a comedy of errors",
                    "an error in judgement/​judgment",
                    "an error of judgement/​judgment"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to realize or admit that you have done something wrong and decide to change your behaviour",
            "labels": "(formal or humorous)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Will they realize the error of their ways before it is too late?"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "the process of solving a problem by trying various methods until you find a method that is successful",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Children learn to use computer programs **by trial and error**."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈerə(r)/",
                "audio": "er/error/error__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈerər/",
                "audio": "er/error/error__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: via Old French from Latin error, from errare ‘to stray, err’."
}