unerring

Unerring is an adjective that describes something or someone that is completely without error, indicating consistent accuracy in judgment, aim, or perception. The word comes from the prefix un- meaning not, combined with erring, from the verb err meaning to make a mistake; thus unerring literally means not erring.

In everyday use it can apply to a person's decision-making, to a tool or instrument that performs with exceptional precision, or to a sense or memory that seems unfailingly reliable. The term is often used figuratively rather than literally; even a person lauded as unerring may occasionally be mistaken, but their performance is unusually dependable.

Common collocations include unerring aim, unerring judgment, unerring instinct, and unerring memory. The phrase is common in literary and journalistic writing, and it is frequently employed in praise or emphatic description.

See also: infallible, impeccable.