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
Robert Melvin, Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2025
Adding the aforementioned shear wall to the building can rectify conditions related to the south elevator shaft but not the sliding exceedance at the north stair shaft.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2025
Already this year, the city has laid off 42 employees and demoted 34 others to rectify a deep budget shortfall in its current fiscal year.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 5 May 2025
Emails released to The New York Times under public records law show that the city had searched for solutions to rectify the monthslong supply shortage but, despite lengthy discussions and preliminary preparations, failed to correct the problem in time.
—Mike Baker, New York Times, 3 May 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 20 May. 2025.
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rectify
verb
Medical Definition
rectify
transitive verb
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