An "errant child" is one who misbehaves. (You might also see "arrant" occasionally - it's a word that originated as an alteration of "errant" and that usually means "extreme" or "shameless.")

ERRANT definition: deviating from the regular or proper course; erring; erring; straying. See examples of errant used in a sentence.

ERRANT definition: 1. behaving wrongly in some way, especially by leaving home: 2. behaving wrongly in some way…. Learn more.

1. Roving, especially in search of adventure: knights errant. 2. Failing to adhere to guidelines or moral standards: errant youngsters.

Definition of errant adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Errant is used to describe someone whose actions are considered unacceptable or wrong by other people. For example, an errant husband is unfaithful to his partner.

Errant definition: Roving, especially in search of adventure.

The adjective errant (meaning "wandering, roving") indicates how the knight-errant would wander the land in search of adventures to prove his chivalric virtues, either in knightly duels (pas d'armes) or in …

Mar 3, 2026 · Adjective errant (comparative more errant, superlative most errant) Straying from the proper course or standard, or outside established limits.

Although errant is commonly used as a synonym for "misbehaving" or "naughty," it also refers to things that are just out of place. An errant bomb can hit a house instead of an army base, and an errant lock …