Meaning & use
room for error
Last updated
Meaning
phraseuncountable
the chance to make a mistake without serious harm or failure; a margin that allows for mistakes.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun phrase; it often follows 'no', 'little', 'some', or 'any'.
Patterns
- no room for error
- little room for error
- some room for error
- leave room for error
In surgery, there is very little room for error.
The budget leaves no room for error, so we must be careful.
Good planning gives you some room for error.
Common combinations
- no room for error
- The instructions must be followed exactly; there is no room for error.
- little room for error
- With such a tight deadline, there is little room for error.
- leave room for error
- A good pilot always leaves room for error.
- some room for error
- The new system gives us some room for error.
Synonyms and how they differ
- margin for error
- Very similar, but often suggests a measured amount of allowable mistake, as in engineering or statistics.
- leeway
- Broader: it means freedom to act or decide, not only freedom to make mistakes.
Commonly confused: room for error or room to maneuver?
room for error vs room to maneuver
This means freedom to change plans or positions, not freedom to make mistakes.
Practice
The surgeon said there was ___ room for error during the operation.
Choose one answer.
'Room for error' is uncountable, so 'little' is correct. 'Few' and 'many' are used with countable nouns, and 'a few' would suggest a small number of errors, which is not the meaning here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “room for error”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.