rectify
verb
Did you know?
Don’t worry if you struggle with the word rectify—we’re here to set you straight. When you rectify something, you correct an error or make things right, which is fitting because rectify and correct both ultimately trace back to the Latin word regere, which can mean “to lead straight,” “to direct,” or “to rule.” Rectify has had its “to set right” meaning since the early 16th century, but the word has over the years accrued various other meanings as well, including the specialized uses “to purify especially by repeated or fractional distillation” (as in “rectified alcohol”), “to make (an alternating current) unidirectional,” and several medical applications having to do with healing of one kind or another. Regere plays a part in the histories of a number of familiar English words, in addition to those mentioned above; the many relatives of rectify include direct, resurrection, and regimen.
Examples of rectify in a Sentence
Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
There are possible ways to rectify late filings and, depending on the facts, penalties might be averted.
—Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
That last one recently prompted a bill in Congress aimed at rectifying the inconsistency.
—Greg Borowski, jsonline.com, 11 July 2025
Musk admitted as much and said the company is trying to rectify the issue.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rectify
Cite this Entry
“Rectify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rectify. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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rectify
verb
Medical Definition
rectify
transitive verb
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