erred on the side of caution
Played it safe
Erred on the side of caution means chose the safer or more conservative option when facing uncertainty.
The phrase acknowledges that the choice might be unnecessary—an "error"—but accepts that risk as preferable to the alternative: We erred on the side of caution and canceled the outdoor wedding.
The logic is that if you must be wrong, be wrong in the direction that causes less harm.
- mitigationReduction of severity
- warinessCautious distrust
- overprotectionExcessive safeguarding of another
- prudenceCareful, wise judgment
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
avoidance · preparedness · circumspection · timidity · harm prevention · risk aversion · playing it safe · better safe than sorry · safety first · safety measures · foresight · due diligence · contingency planning · worst case scenario · conservatism · vigilance · self-restraint · erring
erred on the side of cautiontook a gamble
Made a risky choice
took a risk · rolled the dice · lived dangerously · played with fire · pushed one's luck
errant, erratic, erratically, errors, erroneous, erroneously, siding, sidelong, sideways