erroneous

erroneous — adjective

1. containing mistakes that are caused by wrong information or false beliefs.

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

containing mistakes that are caused by wrong information or false beliefs.

Example

Selim's erroneous assumption about the budget forced him to redo the entire report.

collocation: erroneous assumption / belief / notion

The accountant's erroneous figures caused the company to overstate its quarterly profits.

collocation: erroneous figures / data / information

Common collocations
  • erroneous assumption
  • erroneous belief
  • erroneous conclusion
  • erroneous data
  • erroneous information
  • erroneous report
  • erroneous statement
  • erroneous judgment
  • erroneous decision
  • erroneous impression
Synonyms
  • wrong

    the everyday equivalent; much more common in spoken English

  • incorrect

    slightly more formal than 'wrong' but less formal than 'erroneous'; common in educational contexts

  • false

    emphasises that something is simply not true; used especially for statements, beliefs or claims

  • mistaken

    focuses on a wrong opinion or judgment by a person rather than on the information itself

Antonyms
  • correct

    free from error; the most direct antonym

  • accurate

    precise and exact; often used for measurements, data and descriptions

  • right

    the everyday antonym; natural in both speech and writing

Usage Note

Formal word used mainly in written or academic English. In everyday conversation, 'wrong' or 'incorrect' are more natural alternatives.

Common Mistakes

Your answer is erroneous.' (in casual conversation)
Your answer is wrong.' (in casual conversation)
'erroneous' sounds overly formal for everyday situations.

Word family

  • error
    nounB1
  • erroneously
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something that is not correct, but they differ in register and focus. 'Wrong' is the most natural choice in everyday speech and works in nearly all contexts ('the wrong answer', 'wrong information'). 'Incorrect' is more formal than 'wrong' but less formal than 'erroneous'; it is common in education and testing ('the student gave an incorrect response'). 'False' directly contradicts truth and is used for statements, beliefs, or claims that are deliberately or accidentally untrue ('the witness gave false testimony'). 'Mistaken' centres on a person's wrong understanding or judgment ('she was mistaken about the date'), whereas 'erroneous' points to the information or conclusion itself being built on faulty premises. In formal writing, choose 'erroneous' for data, conclusions and reports; in conversation, 'wrong' nearly always sounds more natural.

wrong ↗incorrect ↗false ↗mistaken ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • erroneous in nature

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

From Latin 'erroneus' meaning 'wandering, straying', which came from the verb 'errare' ('to wander, go astray'). The idea is that a mistaken statement has 'wandered away' from the truth. The word passed into English through Old French 'errone' and originally carried the sense of 'wandering' before shifting to its modern meaning of 'mistaken' in the 17th century.