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# user error

phrase (noun phrase, «user error», uncountable or «a user error»)

«user error» in the English dictionary: in the primary school — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## In the primary school

Source: Mova's pupils' dictionary. Licence: [Elamur Cosmic License](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/LICENSE/). Reviewed: the dictionary the pupils of Mova's primary school read; its examples quote the lessons and public-domain tales. Ships with Mova.

### Meaning

1. (jargon, humorous) the person using a machine or program made the mistake, not the machine.
2. (literal) a mistake made by a user.

### In the lessons

IT staff use it, often jokingly or rudely, to blame the user («It's a user error») and avoid saying the software is bad; also in manuals. Common in offices and tech support.

### Examples

- (IT) The computer works fine — it was user error.
- (joke) The problem is between the keyboard and the chair: user error.
- (chat) my phone wasn't broken, user error, i had it on silent
- (manual) Most crashes are caused by user error.
- (office) "It's not broken, it's user error." "Rude!"
- (school) Your calculator gave a wrong answer? Check for user error: did you press the right keys?

### Note

Trap: sometimes it is a way of blaming the user for bad design. In maths, a calculator gives the wrong answer usually because of a wrong key — user error.