error/mistake distinction

noun

The distinction drawn by some language teachers between an "error" (a mistaken belief that a given usage or construction is correct; or, an incorrect use resulting from such a belief) and "a mistake" (an accidental use of a usage or construction despite knowing that it is incorrect).

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Meanings

nounthe error/mistake distinction
  1. educationThe distinction drawn by some language teachers between an "error" (a mistaken belief that a given usage or construction is correct; or, an incorrect use resulting from such a belief) and "a mistake" (an accidental use of a usage or construction despite knowing that it is incorrect).
Cite this entry
APA

error/mistake distinction. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/error%2Fmistake%20distinction

MLA

“error/mistake distinction.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/error%2Fmistake%20distinction. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “error/mistake distinction,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/error%2Fmistake%20distinction.

Source: error/mistake distinction on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.