From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englisherrerr /ɜː $ ɜːr/ verb [intransitive] 1 → err on the side of something2 old useMISTAKE to make a mistake→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
err• And yes, they did err.• The Edmonton editors now agree that they erred.• Cannon errs in labeling his critics as mindless pessimists.• But each of the networks erred in similar ways.• For this reason the guidelines here tend to err on the cautious side.• It is best therefore to err on the quiet side and to use percussion sparingly rather than to excess.• It is understandable for health authorities to err on the side of caution, as these guidelines will not apply to everyone.• But travel agents are urging their clients to err on the side of caution.• Music as a background for drama is a much trickier area, but you should err on the side of understatement.Origin err (1200-1300) Old French errer, from Latin errare 