The function should return FALSE. Choosing to return a boolean value from such a function implies the fact that I use exceptions to handle errors. Otherwise, it would be a bad design decision to return a simple boolean value. The function outcome is expected to be this: The value is certainly removed after a call has been made. The return value tells me a nuance of how the operation has been executed - TRUE if the value was actually removed, FALSE if there wasn't anything to remove - and I may or may not use this extra information in my code. However, the return value is not there for error handling. If anything doesn't go according to the expected operating mode - For example the value to be removed has a state that doesn't allow removal - I will throw an exception. If I can't use exceptions then the return value should be an integer with return types documented. For example, I can use 0 for success and anything else for various error codes. This is the model widely used in Win32 APIs. HTH, Bogdan P.S: I'm glad to see this kind of questions are being asked.