err on the side of caution

American

[er on thuh sahyd uhv kaw-shuhn, ur] / ˈɛr ɒn ðə ˈsaɪd əv ˈkɔ ʃən, ˈɜr /

idiom

to reduce risk by planning or acting more carefully than might seem absolutely necessary.

Budget for all your known expenses, but err on the side of caution by also allowing funds for unforeseen circumstances.
Sorry, but I removed your image from the thread—it’s probably not offensive, but I always err on the side of caution with such things.

Etymology

Origin of err on the side of caution

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Meta says Instagram's new alerts - stemming from its analysis of user search patterns - may occasionally alert parents when there is no cause for concern and will "err on the side of caution".

From BBC

He felt that a return before opening day was a bit ambitious, and that it would be better to err on the side of caution.

From Los Angeles Times

Now there is a trend to err on the side of caution.

From BBC

"We're a week away from the Test series - always err on the side of caution," said Cummins.

From BBC

Many people living outside the evacuation zone in Fukushima decided to err on the side of caution, too.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023