correct

1 of 2

verb

cor·rect kə-ˈrekt

corrected; correcting; corrects

transitive verb

: to make or set right : amend

correct an error

The editor corrected the author's manuscript.

: counteract, neutralize

correct a harmful tendency

: 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.

: 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

: to point out usually for amendment the errors or faults of

spent the day correcting tests

correctable

kə-ˈrek-tə-bəl

adjective

corrector

kə-ˈrek-tər

noun

correct

2 of 2

adjective

: conforming to an approved or conventional standard

correct behavior

: conforming to or agreeing with fact, logic, or known truth

a correct response

: conforming to a set figure

enclosed the correct return postage

: conforming to the strict requirements of a specific ideology or set of beliefs or values

environmentally correct

spiritually correct

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

Example Sentences

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

It was updated on September 21, 2022, to correct when certain borrowers can get a refund.

Adriana Morga, ajc, 21 Sep. 2022 Moses' order on Monday included a copy of a 2017 rule that allowed transgender residents to file an affidavit with the health department to correct the gender on their birth certificate.

Bradford Betz, Fox News, 21 Sep. 2022 In a double-blind administration, half were given intravenous iron to correct their iron deficiency, while the other half were given a saline placebo.

Brittany Trang, STAT, 21 Sep. 2022 While there are definitely cheaper options that work to correct posture, this one is a luxury splurge fitting for those who want an accurate, detailed insight into their spine-slumping habits.

Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2022 Walsh has been recovering from surgery in early September to correct his thoracic outlet syndrome.

Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2022 This story was updated on Sept. 15 at 4:18 p.m. to correct the name of the articles of organization.

Heather Gann | Hgann@al.com, al, 15 Sep. 2022 Meanwhile, an attempt to jettison ballast (unnecessary objects) to correct course and shorten the return journey to six months instead of three years backfired spectacularly.

Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 15 Sep. 2022 In total, 83 percent of the sutures could be done autonomously, but the human still had to step in the other 17 percent of the time to correct things.

James Gaines, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Sep. 2022

Adjective

And those sensors are telling you whether or not your form is correct.

Wired Staff, WIRED, 22 Sep. 2022 If polls are correct, Italian voters will on Sunday pave the way for Giorgia Meloni to become Italy’s first female Prime Minister and for her party, Brothers of Italy, to lead the country’s most far-right government since World War II.

Yasmeen Serhan, Time, 22 Sep. 2022 The analysis revealed that Sung’s assumption appeared to be correct: The tassel was made of plaster, not earthenware, and thus was likely not original to the piece.

Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Sep. 2022 Simply being told which piece to play is enough for a grandmaster’s mind to understand why a computer deems the move to be correct.

Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 21 Sep. 2022 If his theory was correct, and Freud had worked from a key Bacon reference, that would make the painting a remarkable artifact of the artists’ relationship.

Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2022 But if that's correct, that makes the military balance in Asia really, really central.

CBS News, 15 Sep. 2022 Dozens of local governments have appealed their 2020 counts under the separate review program, but city officials believe Boston’s 2020 boundaries and housing count are correct.

Danny Mcdonald, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2022 If Wenner is correct, the project will be Springsteen’s first album since 2020’s Letter to You.

Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 13 Sep. 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.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1668, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of correct was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Correct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/correct. Accessed 30 Sep. 2022.

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Kids Definition

correct 1 of 2

verb

cor·rect kə-ˈrekt

corrected; correcting

: to make or set right

Please correct any misspelled words.

: 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.

: 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

: to show how a thing can be improved or made right

She corrected the students' papers.

correct

2 of 2

adjective

: free from mistakes : accurate

the correct answer

: meeting or agreeing with some standard : appropriate

correct behavior

correct dress for school

correctly adverb

correctness noun

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.