human error

noun

: a person's mistake rather than on the failure of a machine
The accident was blamed on human error.

Examples of human error in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This reduces human error and improves efficiency. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Apr. 2026 In the wake of Jaxon’s death, questions include whether systemic problems or human error contributed to the tragedy. Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026 There was no fraud, just human error — which would soon be publicly confirmed through a hand count of the county’s ballots. Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 13 Apr. 2026 Anthropic said the release was caused by human error, not a security breach, and that no sensitive customer data or credentials were involved or exposed. John Kell, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for human error

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Human error.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human%20error. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster