erratic en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /əˈɹætɪk/ (Australia, Canada, General-American)
- [əˈɹæɾɪk] (Australia, Canada, General-American)
- /əˈɹɛtək/ (New-Zealand)
- /ɪˈɹætɪk/ (Australia, Canada, General-American)
- [ɪˈɹæɾɪk] (Australia, Canada, General-American)
- audio Queensland
- /ɪˈɹætɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- [əˈɹɛɾək] (New-Zealand)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁ers- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ers-eh₂-yé-ti Proto-Italic *erzāō Latin errō Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin -āticus Classical Latin errāticusbor. Old French erratique Middle French erratiquebor. ▲ Classical Latin errāticusbor. Middle English erratik English erratic From Middle English erratik, from Middle French erratique (from Old French erratique) and its etymon Classical Latin errāticus.
Meanings
-
Unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent.
The V-2's directional system was notoriously erratic. In May 1947, a V-2 launched from White Sands Proving Ground headed south instead of north, missing downtown Juarez, Mexico, by 3 miles.
2010, Mary Roach, “You Go First: The Alarming Prospect of Life Without Gravity”, in Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, W. W. Norton & Company, →ISBN, page 90:When we found you on the street, your behavior was all erratic and it seemed like you were having a panic attack.
Henry has been getting erratic scores on his tests: 40% last week, but 98% this week.
-
Deviating from normal opinions or actions; eccentric; odd.
Investigators were careful not to rule out Bryce’s erratic behaviour in his final days, including the giveaways, the sudden breakup, and the hours spent parked by the side of the freeway. These factors pointed to a mental health crisis severe enough that he wanted to disappear.
2026 July 18, Nicholas Muhoro, “Bryce Laspisa Vanished Near Castaic Lake After Spending 13 Hours Parked on a California Highway”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 19 Jul 2026:erratic conduct
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most erratic | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| erratick | alternative | lexicographic | |
| erratique | alternative | lexicographic | |
| erraticke | alternative | lexicographic | |
| more erratic | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
inerratic · erraticity · knight-erratic · erraticness · erratical · glacial erratic · erraticism · nonerratic · erratically · unerratic
Synonyms
Translations (55)
hu egyenetlen (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · hu bizarr (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · sh eratičan (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · fi epävakaa (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · da slingrende (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · mi hārakiraki (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · de verwirrt (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · hu szokatlan (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · mi hikimoke (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · hy անհաստատ (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · fr erratique (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · sh nekonzistentan (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · hu megbízhatatlan (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · uk дивни́й (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · da uberegnelig (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · de gestört (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · es inconstante (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · hy անկանոն (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · hy անկայուն (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · de unregelmäßig (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · fi ailahteleva (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · de unstet (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · es irregular (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · bg изменчив (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · sh iregularan (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · pt errático (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · uk нестійки́й (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · de verhaltensauffällig (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · es trastornado (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · hu szabálytalan (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · ca erràtic (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · mi ikimoke (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · uk чудерна́цький (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · uk непослідо́вний (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · hu fura (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · hu szeszélyes (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · ru нерегулярный (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · nl onregelmatig (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · el αλλοπρόσαλλος (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · hu kiszámíthatatlan (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · la erraticus (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · da tilfældig (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · mi horehore (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · mi whanokē (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · de unberechenbar (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · hu bogaras (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · sh neravnomjeran (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · bg непостоянен (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · hu rapszodikus (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · de erratisch (deviating from normal opinions or actions) · ru неравномерный (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · de erratisch (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · fi epäsäännöllinen (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · fi epätasainen (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent) · es errático (unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent)