erred in favor

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "erred in favor" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in contexts where a decision or judgment is made with a bias towards a more lenient or beneficial outcome for someone or something. Example: "The committee erred in favor of granting the applicant an extension, believing it would be more just."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Too often, the argument goes, he has erred in favor of defending the church hierarchy.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

And be sure to err in favor of deregulation when striking that regulatory balance suggested in Point Two".

Huffington Post

The lower threshold was purposefully chosen to be liberal (but with a relatively high associated cluster extent), given that we had no regional hypotheses about the pattern of correlations within a network and prefer to err in favor of showing potential regions of interest for future investigation.

Brain Connectivity

The remain camp, supporting an imperfect status quo, were partly lulled into complacency by poll numbers and a passive, almost academic attitude to the outcome, which they believed erred in their favor.

Huffington Post

The second wave (late afternoon) estimates have often leaked this year, and those results have, more often than not, erred in Barack Obama's favor during the primaries (especially on 2/5 and 3/4 and in Pennsylvania).

Huffington Post

Or this one, about a First Lady audio-diary entry: "Lady Bird has this mostly right... but, ever the loyalist, she has erred in her husband's favor on one point".

The New Yorker

A federal appeals court has decided that a lower court erred in 2007 when it ruled in favor of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in a bitter dispute between the museum and the artist Christoph Büchel over an immense, unfinished installation.

The New York Times - Arts

Know the origin of the wood and if you do not, err in favor of not burning it.

WikiHow

(Mr. McCain recently declared he had erred in not announcing earlier that he favors the flag's removal).

The New York Times

In February, the Supreme Court ruled in Buck's favor, saying the 5th Circuit had erred in denying his appeal and sending the case back to the lower court for reconsideration.

Vice

Now West erred in return.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "erred in favor", ensure the context clearly indicates the specific error and the resulting benefit. This strengthens the clarity and impact of your statement.

Common error

Avoid exaggerating the positive outcome of the error. Ensure the benefit genuinely outweighs any negative consequences to maintain credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "erred in favor" functions as a descriptive verb phrase, typically used to indicate that a decision or action, though technically a mistake, resulted in a positive outcome for a particular person or entity. Ludwig shows examples in varied context.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "erred in favor" is used to describe a situation where a mistake had an unintended positive consequence. Ludwig AI indicates this phrase is grammatically correct and usable, although not very common. The primary contexts for this phrase are News & Media, Science, and Wiki. When using "erred in favor", it's best to ensure the context clarifies both the mistake and the specific benefit to maintain clarity and impact. Related phrases offer alternative ways to convey a similar meaning, such as "made a favorable error" or "leaned toward leniency".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

made a favorable error

Highlights that the error had a positive consequence.

erred on the side of generosity

Implies that the mistake involved an act of kindness or giving.

leaned toward leniency

Focuses on the act of being more forgiving or merciful than strictly necessary.

judged leniently

Focuses on the act of making a less severe judgment.

inclined to be more lenient

Focuses on the tendency to be more forgiving.

biased toward

Emphasizes a preference or leaning in one direction, suggesting a lack of impartiality.

chose to be more forgiving

Highlights the active decision to grant forgiveness, possibly influenced by an error.

tipped the scales towards

Suggests a shift in balance or advantage due to the error.

benefited by mistake

Directly states that a benefit was received due to an error.

favored unintentionally

Highlights the accidental nature of the positive outcome resulting from the error.

FAQs

How to use "erred in favor" in a sentence?

Use "erred in favor" to describe a situation where a mistake unintentionally resulted in a beneficial outcome for someone or something. For example, "The committee "erred in favor" of granting the applicant an extension."

What can I say instead of "erred in favor"?

You can use alternatives like "made a favorable error", "leaned toward leniency", or "benefited by mistake" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "erred in favor" grammatically correct?

Yes, "erred in favor" is grammatically correct, though it's not a particularly common expression. Ludwig indicates that it is usable in written English.

In what contexts is "erred in favor" most appropriate?

It is most appropriate in contexts where you want to emphasize that a mistake led to a positive or beneficial outcome, especially where leniency or a generous interpretation was involved.