I erroneously believed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I erroneously believed" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to express that you held a mistaken belief or assumption about something. Example: "I erroneously believed that the meeting was scheduled for Friday instead of Thursday."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

But as I faced the precise scenario I erroneously believed I had protected myself from, a surprising thing happened: I didn't crumble.

The Guardian - Opinion

I craved approval and sometimes I cringe at "what I did for love," as I erroneously believed that I needed others to fill my dwindling tank.

Huffington Post

I first learned about Sadie Butler in the early 2000's when I sent away for the Catholic Diocesan records of my paternal great-grandfather whom I (erroneously) believed was Irish Catholic.

HuffPost

I erroneously believed that just because it was a local bank, it was lending to the local community at equitable rates and was interested in the local people who bank with them.

Huffington Post

I erroneously believed I was alone among my friends in having miscarried, because we had never talked about it; this is faulty but common logic, which functions to negatively reinforce the bias against speaking openly about pregnancy loss.

Huffington Post

I erroneously believed that Ms. Kagan was openly gay not because of, as Stein describes it, a "whisper campaign" on the part of conservatives, but because it had been mentioned casually on multiple occasions by friends and colleagues -- including students at Harvard, Hill staffers, and in the sphere of legal academia -- who know Kagan personally.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

But "the BP Macondo well team erroneously believed that they had received the wrong centralizers.

The Guardian

This 100-to-1 100-to-1 100-to-1of the 1980s, when it was eruleeously belisved that crack was much more dangerous than the chemicalegacyentical pofder.

The New York Times

Some bishops and other church leaders often put what they erroneously believed to be the institutional concerns of the local church above the concerns of the universal church.

The New York Times

William Stukeley, an eighteenth-century pioneer of British archeology, erroneously believed that Druids built Stonehenge, and scientists have since found it difficult to dispel the notion.

The New Yorker

Papadopoulos met with the professor and the woman, who he erroneously believed was Putin's niece, and reported back to the Trump campaign.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use this phrase to acknowledge a past misunderstanding, especially when correcting a previous statement or explaining a change in perspective.

Common error

While "erroneously" is a valid word, it can sound overly formal in casual conversation or informal writing. In such contexts, consider using simpler alternatives like "mistakenly" or "wrongly" to maintain a natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I erroneously believed" functions as a retraction or correction of a prior held belief. It serves to clarify a past misunderstanding, as seen in Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

33%

Encyclopedias

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "I erroneously believed" is a phrase used to correct a past misunderstanding or retract a previous belief. As Ludwig pointed out, the phrase is grammatically sound and usable in written English. While "I erroneously believed" is most common in news and media contexts, other sources like encyclopedias and science-related publications also use the phrase, demonstrating its presence in a variety of writing. When using the expression, consider the context and opt for more informal alternatives like "I mistakenly believed" if formality is not necessary. The expert rating reflects a balance between the strong authoritative sourcing and some room for more varied application across different writing styles.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I mistakenly believed

Replaces "erroneously" with "mistakenly", a more common synonym, resulting in a slightly less formal tone.

I was wrong to believe

Uses a more direct construction, emphasizing the incorrectness of the belief.

I incorrectly assumed

Focuses on the act of assuming, rather than believing, but conveys a similar meaning of having a false impression.

I wrongly thought

Substitutes "believed" with "thought", a more casual term, and "erroneously" with "wrongly", keeping the sense of being incorrect.

I had the mistaken impression

Emphasizes the false impression one had, using a slightly more formal tone.

I was under the false impression

Similar to "I had the mistaken impression", but uses "false" to highlight the inaccuracy.

I was led to believe, but incorrectly

Indicates an external influence on the belief, which turned out to be wrong.

I fell under the misconception

Highlights the idea of falling victim to a false understanding.

I labored under the delusion

Implies a stronger, more persistent false belief, suggesting a delusion rather than a simple error.

I had been deluded into thinking

This alternative places emphasis on the action of being deluded.

FAQs

What's a simpler way to say "I erroneously believed"?

You can use alternatives like "I mistakenly believed", "I was wrong to believe", or "I wrongly thought" depending on the context.

How can I use "I erroneously believed" in a sentence?

For example, "I erroneously believed that the meeting was on Friday, but it's actually on Thursday".

Is "erroneously believed" always the best word choice?

No, "erroneously" can sound overly formal in some contexts. Consider alternatives like "mistakenly" or "incorrectly" for a more casual tone.

What's the difference between "I erroneously believed" and "I thought"?

"I erroneously believed" implies that you now know the belief was wrong, while "I thought" is more neutral and doesn't necessarily indicate a correction.