Meaning & use
errant behavior
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Meaning
noununcountableformal
Behavior that deviates from what is considered normal, proper, or expected.
Grammar: Uncountable; used to talk about a type of conduct in general, not individual acts.
Patterns
- errant behavior in someone
- errant behavior by someone
- engage in errant behavior
The school has a zero-tolerance policy for errant behavior.
Psychologists study errant behavior in adolescents to understand risk factors.
His errant behavior at the party shocked his colleagues.
Common combinations
- errant behavior
- The report documented several instances of errant behavior among staff.
- engage in errant behavior
- Teenagers sometimes engage in errant behavior as a way to test boundaries.
- pattern of errant behavior
- The therapist noticed a pattern of errant behavior dating back to childhood.
- address errant behavior
- The manager called a meeting to address errant behavior in the workplace.
Synonyms and how they differ
- misconduct
- Misconduct is more formal and often implies a violation of professional or legal rules, while errant behavior can be less serious and more general.
- wrongdoing
- Wrongdoing suggests illegal or immoral acts; errant behavior may simply be unconventional or inappropriate.
- deviance
- Deviance is a sociological term for behavior that violates social norms; errant behavior is a broader, less technical phrase.
Opposites
Word family
- errant adjective
- Behaving in a way that is considered wrong or unacceptable; also used for something that moves aimlessly.
- errantry noun
- The state or act of wandering in search of adventure, as in knight-errantry.
Commonly confused: errant behavior or aberrant? errant behavior or arrant?
errant behavior vs aberrant
Aberrant means deviating from what is normal or acceptable, often in a scientific or statistical context. Errant behavior is a more common phrase in everyday language, but aberrant behavior is also used and is more formal.
errant behavior vs arrant
Arrant is an old-fashioned adjective meaning complete or utter, used in phrases like 'arrant nonsense'. It is not related to behavior.
Practice
The principal spoke to the student about his ___ behavior in class.
Choose one answer.
'Errant behavior' is the standard phrase for behavior that is wayward or improper. 'Aberrant' is more technical and often used in scientific contexts; 'arrant' means complete or utter and is old-fashioned; 'errand' is a noun meaning a short trip to do a task.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “errant behavior”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.