correct

verb

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cor·rect | \ kə-ˈrekt

corrected; correcting; corrects

Definition of correct

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to make or set right : amend correct an error The editor corrected the author's manuscript.

b : counteract, neutralize correct a harmful tendency

c : to alter or adjust so as to bring to some standard or required condition correct a lens for spherical aberration She's having surgery to correct her vision.

2a : to discipline or punish (someone) for some fault or lapse … I was most rude then. Only a small boy, Sir, and I was corrected for it, I assure you, by my father …— Rex Ingamells

b : to point out usually for amendment the errors or faults of spent the day correcting tests

correct

adjective

Definition of correct (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : conforming to an approved or conventional standard correct behavior

2 : conforming to or agreeing with fact, logic, or known truth a correct response

3 : conforming to a set figure enclosed the correct return postage

4 : conforming to the strict requirements of a specific ideology or set of beliefs or values environmentally correct spiritually correct

Other Words from correct Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing correct Learn More About correct

Other Words from correct

Verb

correctable \ kə-ˈrek-tə-bəl

\ adjective

corrector \ kə-ˈrek-tər

\ noun

Adjective

correctly \ kə-ˈrek(t)-lē

\ adverb

correctness \ kə-ˈrek(t)-nəs

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for correct

Verb

correct, rectify, emend, remedy, redress, amend, reform, revise mean to make right what is wrong. correct implies taking action to remove errors, faults, deviations, defects. correct your spelling rectify implies a more essential changing to make something right, just, or properly controlled or directed. rectify a misguided policy emend specifically implies correction of a text or manuscript. emend a text remedy implies removing or making harmless a cause of trouble, harm, or evil. set out to remedy the evils of the world redress implies making compensation or reparation for an unfairness, injustice, or imbalance. redress past social injustices amend, reform, revise imply an improving by making corrective changes, amend usually suggesting slight changes amend a law , reform implying drastic change plans to reform the court system , and revise suggesting a careful examination of something and the making of necessary changes. revise the schedule

synonyms see in addition punish

Adjective

correct, accurate, exact, precise, nice, right mean conforming to fact, standard, or truth. correct usually implies freedom from fault or error. correct answers socially correct dress accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care. an accurate description exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth. exact measurements precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation. precise calibration nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination. makes nice distinctions right is close to correct but has a stronger positive emphasis on conformity to fact or truth rather than mere absence of error or fault. the right thing to do

Examples of correct in a Sentence

Verb I hate it when she corrects my grammar. Please correct your essay for punctuation errors. Our teacher hasn't finished correcting our tests yet. He corrects papers with a red pen. We are finding ways to correct this difficult situation. We'll correct the problem with the circuit as soon as possible. These medicines are used for correcting chemical imbalances in the brain. Adjective What's the correct answer to this question? Her watch never tells the correct time. an anatomically correct drawing of the human body Did I give you the correct change? With the correct amount of water and sunlight, the plant will grow well. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The county should continue to hire and deploy a workforce that reflects the diverse makeup of the county's residents, and where past patterns of racial discrimination are identified the county should correct them. — Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2022 There was an issue with the printer on site that caused a delay before opening, Rudy said, but staffers called the county's election headquarters and were able to correct it before voters entered the school. — Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 17 May 2022 What’s more, the agencies lacked the appropriate policies to root out such bias, investigate allegations of it among their officers and correct it once identified. — Erika D. Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2022 Once advised that a 1099 is wrong, the company needs to correct it, according to the IRS. — Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2022 Gun safety procedures were not being followed on set, the film's management team knew it and failed to correct it, the report states. — Cheri Mossburg, CNN, 20 Apr. 2022 ASOs are used to reduce or increase protein expression in the nervous system, depending on the particular mutation and how to correct it. — Stephanie Emma Pfeffer, PEOPLE.com, 12 Apr. 2022 It’s a leader’s job to point out mistakes and correct them. — Gregg Ward, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2022 Voters with flagged ballots had the opportunity to correct them, but thousands missed the deadline and were unable to cast ballots. — Cayla Harris, San Antonio Express-News, 11 Mar. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective And this is your first role since leaving NXIVM, correct? — Lauren Puckett-pope, ELLE, 25 May 2022 On the surface such a description is correct, with hundreds of billions in value having been wiped off the cryptoasset market in the recent sell-off. — Sean Stein Smith, Forbes, 22 May 2022 Marvel insider Grace Randolph says the May 23rd release date for Thor: Love and Thunder trailer 2 is correct. — Chris Smith, BGR, 22 May 2022 Only slightly less annoying is the ex-referee the networks keep on standby who pops up to chime in on whether the call was correct, and roughly 98 percent of the time finds a way to agree with the call or rationalize why a bad one was made. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 21 May 2022 If the polls are correct, the message from Peach State Republicans is: Move on. — Kimberley A. Strassel, WSJ, 19 May 2022 If Wilson is correct, his price target means the S&P 500 still has a roughly 15% drop ahead of it from Monday’s levels. — Will Daniel, Fortune, 16 May 2022 Each workout features a pre-recorded video of a trainer explaining the moves, and their context within the program, then demonstrating correct form. — Wes Siler, Outside Online, 12 Feb. 2022 In its quarterly filing with the SEC, even Twitter doubted that its count of bot accounts was correct, conceding that the estimate may be low. — Kelvin Chan, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'correct.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for correct

Verb

Middle English, from Latin correctus, past participle of corrigere, from com- + regere to lead straight — more at right

Adjective

Middle English, corrected, from Latin correctus, from past participle of corrigere — see correct entry 1

Learn More About correct

Dictionary Entries Near correct

correa

correct

correctant

Statistics for correct

Last Updated

27 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Correct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/correct. Accessed 28 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for correct

correct

verb

cor·rect | \ kə-ˈrekt

corrected; correcting

Kids Definition of correct

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to make or set right Please correct any misspelled words.

2 : to change or adjust so as to bring to some standard or to a required condition My watch was slow, so I corrected it. Glasses will correct your vision.

3 : to punish in order to improve … Buldeo went out angrily … anxious to correct Mowgli for not taking better care of the herd.— Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book

4 : to show how a thing can be improved or made right She corrected the students' papers.

correct

adjective

Kids Definition of correct (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : free from mistakes : accurate the correct answer

2 : meeting or agreeing with some standard : appropriate correct behavior correct dress for school

Choose the Right Synonym for correct

Adjective

correct, exact, and accurate mean agreeing with a fact, truth, or standard. correct is used for something that contains no errors. Can you give me correct directions? exact is used for something that agrees very closely with fact or truth. I need the exact measurements of the room. accurate is used when great care has been taken to make sure that something agrees with the facts. He gave an accurate description of the scene.