unforced error
un-FORST AIR-er
/ʌnˈfɔːrst ˈerər/
A mistake made by a player that is not caused by the opponent's good play.
Unforced errors are often the result of poor concentration, fatigue, or bad technique rather than the opponent's pressure.
The story behind the word. A modern sports compound. 'Error' comes from the Latin 'errare' (to wander), while 'unforced' implies the mistake happened without the 'force' (Latin 'fortis') of the opponent.
Word relationships
- winner: A winner is a shot that the opponent cannot reach, the opposite of a self-inflicted mistake.
Commonly confused with
- forced error: A forced error is caused by the opponent's difficult shot; an unforced error is entirely your own fault.
Collocations
- costly unforced error
- string of unforced errors
- minimize unforced errors
Example sentences
- "The match was decided by unforced errors; he hit 40 of them compared to his opponent's 10." Match analysis
- "The unforced error is the curse of the amateur player who tries to do too much with the ball." General commentary
Memory hook
You 'erred' on your own—no one 'forced' you. Your own mistake.
When not to use
If the opponent hits a great shot that you can't return, it is a 'forced error,' not an unforced one.
Fun facts
- In professional matches, statisticians track unforced errors to determine which player was more 'solid' during the match.
Explore more words
make a mistake, inattention, fatigue, inadvertent, gaffe, error
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