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Transient vs Errant - What's the difference?

transient | errant | Related terms |

Transient is a related term of errant.


As adjectives the difference between transient and errant

is that transient is passing or disappearing with time; transitory while errant is straying from the proper course or standard, or outside established limits.

As a noun transient

is something which is transient.

transient

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Passing or disappearing with time; transitory.
    • a transient pleasure
  • * Milton
    • this transient world
  • Remaining for only a brief time.
    • a transient view of a landscape
  • (physics) Decaying with time, especially exponentially.
  • (mathematics, stochastic processes, of a state) having a positive probability of being left and never being visited again.
  • Occasional; isolated; one-off; individual.
  • Passing through; passing from one person to another.
  • (philosophy) Operating beyond itself; having an external effect.

    • Synonyms

    * (passing) passing, transitory, temporary * (brief) brief, ephemeral, fleeting, flighty, fugacious

    Antonyms

    * (passing) permanent * (brief) permanent * (mathematics) recurrent * (philosophy) immanent

    Derived terms

    * transience * transiently * transientness

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something which is transient.
  • (physics) A transient phenomenon, especially an electric current; a very brief surge.
  • (acoustics) A relatively loud, non-repeating signal in an audio waveform which occurs very quickly, such as the attack of a snare drum.
  • A person who passes through a place for a short time; a traveller; a migrant worker
  • * 1996 , , Oyster , Virago Press, paperback edition, page 3
    • Then, within the space of a few months, there were more transients than there were locals, and the imbalance seemed morally wrong.
  • An unhoused person

    • Synonyms

    * (4) traveller: itinerant, migrant, traveller * (5) homeless: homeless

    Anagrams

    * *

    errant

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (l) (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Straying from the proper course or standard, or outside established limits.
  • * Sir Thomas Browne
    • seven planets or errant stars in the lower orbs of heaven
  • Prone to making errors.
  • (proscribed) Utter, complete (negative); arrant.
  • * Ben Jonson
    • would make me an errant fool

    Usage notes

    Sometimes is considered simply an alternative spelling and pronunciation of errant', though many authorities distinguish them, reserving '''errant''' to mean “wandering” and using it ''after'' the noun it modifies, notably is “knight '''errant ”, while using ''arrant'' to mean “utter”, in a negative sense, and ''before'' the noun it modifies, notably in “''arrant knaves”. Etymologically, arrant arose as a variant of errant , but the meanings have long since diverged. Both terms are archaic, primarily used in set phrases (which may be considered ), and are easily confused, and on that basis some authorities suggest against using either.

    Synonyms

    *

    Derived terms

    * (l) * (l)

    References

    * “ arrant/errant”, Common Errors in English Usage, Paul Brians * On Language: Arrant Nonsense, (William Safire), January 22, 2006, (New York Times) * Merriam–Webster’s dictionary of English usage, 1995, “errant, arrant”, pp. 406–407

    Anagrams

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