error

An error is a deviation from what is right, true, or expected. It carries a sense of failure in accuracy or logic, often implying a specific point of failure rather than a general state of being wrong. In technical and scientific contexts, it is neutral and clinical, referring to the measurable difference between a result and the truth (as in "margin of error"). In computing, it signals a breach of protocol or syntax that prevents a process from completing. Compared to "mistake," which often feels more personal or human-driven, "error" frequently suggests a systemic, procedural, or mathematical failure. While you might make a mistake in judgment, a computer generates an error.