corrected; correcting; corrects
1
a
: 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.
2
a
: 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
Rex Ingamells
b
: to point out usually for amendment the errors or faults of
spent the day correcting tests
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
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025
The images, which claim to show images of the iPhone 17 Pro in four different cases were labelled iPhone 16 Pro in the first post, but later corrected.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
Roth was correct as the rain didn’t start for more than 90 minutes, which seemingly would have given the Royals and Rockies a chance to get a good chunk of the game played.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for correct
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
If the person does not correct the behavior, Whitmore suggested alerting a flight attendant.
—Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025
The images, which claim to show images of the iPhone 17 Pro in four different cases were labelled iPhone 16 Pro in the first post, but later corrected.
—David Phelan, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Ars Technica: Your AI take is that neither the dystopian view of sentient AI or the utopian view is necessarily correct.
—ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
Roth was correct as the rain didn’t start for more than 90 minutes, which seemingly would have given the Royals and Rockies a chance to get a good chunk of the game played.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for correct
Cite this Entry
“Correct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/correct. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
correct
1 of 2 verb
cor·rect
kə-ˈrekt 
1
a
: to make or set right
b
c
: to alter or adjust so as to bring to some standard or required condition
2
a
b
: to indicate the faults or errors of and show how they can be made right
correct a student's composition
correct
2 of 2 adjective1
: meeting or agreeing with a particular standard
correct behavior
2
: agreeing with fact or known truth
the correct pronunciation
Medical Definition
correct
transitive verb
cor·rect
kə-ˈrekt
: to alter or adjust so as to bring to some standard or required condition
correct a lens for spherical aberration
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