ERRANT

errant

(adjective) uncontrolled motion that is irregular or unpredictable; “an errant breeze”

errant

(adjective) straying from the right course or from accepted standards; “errant youngsters”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Adjective

errant (comparative more errant, superlative most errant)

Straying from the proper course or standard, or outside established limits.

Wandering; roving around.

Prone to making errors; misbehaved.

(proscribed) Utter, complete (negative); arrant.

Usage notes

Sometimes arrant (“utter, complete”) is considered simply an alternative spelling and pronunciation of errant, though most authorities distinguish them, reserving errant to mean “wandering” and using it after the noun it modifies, notably in “knight errant”, while using arrant to mean “utter”, in a negative sense, and before the noun it modifies, notably in “arrant knaves”.

Etymologically, arrant arose as a variant of errant, but the meanings have long since diverged. Both terms are primarily used in set phrases (which may be considered cliché) and, since they are easily confused, some authorities suggest against using either.

Synonyms

• (utter, complete): arrant (generally distinguished; see usage)

Noun

errant (plural errants)

A knight-errant.

Anagrams

• Ranter, Ratner, Terran, ranter, terran

Source: Wiktionary

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Er"rant, a. Etym: [F. errant, p. pr. fr. OF. errer to travel, LL. iterare, fr. L. iter journey; confused somewhat with L. errare to err. See Eyre, and cf. Arrant, Itinerant.]

1. Wandering; deviating from an appointed course, or from a direct path; roving. Seven planets or errant stars in the lower orbs of heaven. Sir T. Browne.

2. Notorious; notoriously bad; downright; arrant. Would make me an errant fool. B. Jonson.

3. (Eng. Law)

Definition: Journeying; itinerant; -- formerly applied to judges who went on circuit and to bailiffs at large. Mozley & W.

Er"rant, n.

Definition: One who wanders about. [Obs.] Fuller.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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