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.
Several works confront the digital systems shaping contemporary life, subverting algorithms and finding room for human error and agency. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026 Given today’s risks, frontier labs need to run like nuclear power plants or busy airports, with layers of redundancy and careful, time-consuming planning, so that the occasional and inevitable human error does not open a door to disaster. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 3 Oct. 2026 Hyperion failed in 2021 after human error and equipment failure flooded the plant. — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 Designing for human error works; exhorting humans not to err does not. — Alan Rencher, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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