err on the side of caution
English
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Verb
err on the side of caution (third-person singular simple present errs on the side of caution, present participle erring on the side of caution, simple past and past participle erred on the side of caution)
- (idiomatic) To act in the least risky manner in a situation in which one is uncertain about the consequences.
- 1867 January 15, “The Impeachment of the President—Probabilities and Possibilities”, in New York Times, page 4:
- They are all zealous to the last degree in support of the extreme policy. . . . They certainly will not err on the side of caution.
- 1976 Oct. 29, James J. Kilpatrick, "Bureaucracy Infects Drug Industry," St. Petersburg Independent/Washington Star Syndicate, p. 23-A (retrieved 1 Oct 2008):
- In any uncertain situation, government tends to err on the side of caution and delay.
- 2008 Sept. 17, Kara Gammell, "Cash in on the high interest rates," The Telegraph (UK) (retrieved 1 Oct. 2008):
- But many savers are more concerned with the safety of their deposits and are even spreading their money over several institutions to err on the side of caution.
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Translations
to act in the least risky manner
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See also
- abundance of caution
- better safe than sorry
- err on the side of
- give the benefit of the doubt (= err on the side of caution when judging someone else's character or motives)
- on the safe side
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