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Glite Dictionary
programming error

programming error

1 3.8
A mistake in computer code that makes software behave wrongly
  • noun
  • /ˈproʊɡræmɪŋ ˈɛrər/
  • Specialized
: error de programación
  • I presume that this is a programming error.

Examples

  • The app was updated to fix a programming error that caused unexpected shutdowns.

  • "Must have been some damn programming error that had made it crash two years ago, and now this one...

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Programming errors that failed to add correctly should have been caught by now if they were meant to be caught.

    Blog text (4)

  • Programming errors can have unpredictable consequences.

    Blog text (14)

  • For example, a programming error in the statistical software necessitated a revision of the 1997 NRI (NRCS 2000; Peterson 2000; Regional Review 2000).

    Academic text (2001)

  • The software crashed due to a programming error that caused a loop in the code.

  • A small programming error led to incorrect calculations in the financial report.

Synonyms

mistake
vsprogramming error
∞ 1.0

A wrong action or decision

is narrower, meaning specifically code errors that make programs fail
bug
vsprogramming error
  • Specialized
110 2.8

An error in a computer program that makes it not work correctly

is the same fault but often used more formally than informal speech
error
vsprogramming error
  • Specialized
74 3.0

A computer problem that makes a program give a wrong result or stop

is the same idea but specifies faults coming from programmer's code
computer error
vsprogramming error
6 2.8

A problem in a computer that makes it give wrong or unexpected results

focuses specifically on mistakes introduced by a programmer, not hardware faults
syntax error
vsprogramming error
  • Specialized
2 4.2

A mistake in computer code that breaks the language rules before the program runs

covers faults caused by authors of code beyond just grammar mistakes
software error
vsprogramming error
  • Specialized
1 3.6

A problem in a computer program that makes it give wrong results

is the same meaning but names the coder's mistake specifically
algorithm error
vsprogramming error
  • Specialized
1 5.4

A mistake in the steps a program uses that gives wrong results

is about code mistakes more broadly, not only method selection errors
run-time error
vsprogramming error
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A problem that happens while a program is running because of wrong data or bad instructions

is detected while running rather than being present only in source code
semantic error
vsprogramming error
  • Specialized
1 6.9

An error in a program's logic that makes it give wrong results even when the code runs without errors

is about code mistakes generally rather than only runtime logic faults

How Severe

to fail
201 2.2
programming error
  • Specialized
1 3.8
semantic error
  • Specialized
1 6.9

Surface Forms

programming error singular
programming errors plural

Morphology

programming + error

The phrase 'programming error' is directly compositional: 'programming' specifies the domain of the 'error', so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it means an error in software/code. This noun–noun compound follows common technical compounding patterns (and similar constructions exist in other languages), making its meaning immediately transparent.

Etymology

Programming error comes from a simple picture: imagine following a list of steps, like a recipe or the act of programming, and making an error, a 'mistake', so the result does not work. So a programming error means a mistake in the code that makes the computer act the wrong way.