an honest error

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an honest error" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a mistake that was made without any intention to deceive or mislead. Example: "The accountant acknowledged that it was an honest error and promptly corrected the financial report."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

Chicanery or an honest error?

Independent

This contractor didn't make an honest error; he deliberately deceived the homeowner.

The New York Times

Taking advantage of an honest error is the improper act here.

The New York Times - Magazine

"They accept there's been an honest error made, but there have been too many now.

Independent

He insisted throughout that it was an honest error and went on win a libel judgment against the commission's chairman.

The New York Times - Sports

Mr. Messemer today acknowledged that he had made "an honest error" on this critical point in his December testimony.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

It's possible the error was an honest mistake, and you wouldn't want to underfinance the institution responsible for your wife's care.

The New York Times - Magazine

And if Nero does get convicted, Moskos says, the result would "drastically change policing" because it would suggest "you're not immune from making an honest mistake, a good-faith error".

Vice

He blamed the "fog of war" for the error, and Fox News called it an honest mistake.

Huffington Post

Here we do not speak of the instances where careless study of "the earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris" actually referred to some other species, but to those in which a perfectly honest error was made, because taxonomists had no access to the types of data necessary to make the distinctions we are making here, and are now easily obtained.

Plosone

Which leads inevitably to the situation wherein a Facebook bug (an inexcusable but honest error) compromises the accounts of 50 million people, and in many cases their Tinder and Spotify and whichever other third-party accounts, as well … because Facebook has grown to be a centralized identity power on the Internet.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When acknowledging a mistake, use "an honest error" to convey sincerity and a lack of intent to deceive. This can help maintain trust and credibility.

Common error

Avoid using "an honest error" to excuse mistakes resulting from clear negligence or a lack of due diligence. This phrase is best reserved for truly unintentional errors.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an honest error" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "honest" modifies the noun "error". Ludwig AI confirms that this structure is grammatically correct and frequently used.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Science

33%

Wiki

7%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "an honest error" is a commonly used phrase to describe a mistake made without intent to deceive. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability in various contexts. The phrase is particularly useful when acknowledging errors to maintain trust and credibility. However, it's essential to reserve it for genuinely unintentional mistakes, avoiding its use as an excuse for negligence. Alternative phrases like "a genuine mistake" or "an unintentional mistake" can also be used. When discussing retractions in science, the expression is often used to make a distinction between papers that are retracted due to misconduct and those retracted due to errors.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a genuine mistake

Emphasizes the authenticity of the error, suggesting it was not feigned or artificial.

an unintentional mistake

Highlights the lack of intent behind the mistake.

an inadvertent error

Suggests the error occurred due to oversight or lack of attention.

a bona fide error

Similar to "genuine mistake", reinforcing the good faith nature of the error.

an innocent mistake

Implies the mistake caused no harm or was made without malicious intent.

a simple oversight

Downplays the error as a minor and easily correctable lapse.

an understandable error

Suggests the error is reasonable given the circumstances.

a human error

Attributes the error to the fallibility of human beings.

a clerical error

Specifies the error as one made in an administrative or record-keeping context.

a good-faith error

Highlights that the error was made with good intentions and without any deceptive motive.

FAQs

How can I use "an honest error" in a sentence?

You can use "an honest error" to describe a mistake made without intent to deceive, for example: "The discrepancy in the report was due to "an honest error" on my part."

What phrases are similar to "an honest error"?

Similar phrases include "a genuine mistake", "an unintentional mistake", or "a simple oversight".

Is "an honest error" the same as negligence?

"An honest error" implies a mistake made without intent or negligence. Negligence suggests a failure to exercise reasonable care, making the two distinct.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "an honest error"?

It is appropriate to use "an honest error" when acknowledging a mistake that was genuinely unintentional and not caused by recklessness or deliberate misconduct.