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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
translation icon : 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
error
vsprogramming error
  • Specialized
300 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
bug
vsprogramming error
  • Specialized
211 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
computer error
vsprogramming error
4 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
1 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
semantic error
vsprogramming error
  • Specialized
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
algorithm error
vsprogramming error
  • Specialized
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
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

How Severe

to fail
370 2.2
programming error
  • Specialized
1 3.8
semantic error
  • Specialized
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.