redress

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verb re·dress \ ri-ˈdres \

Definition of redress

transitive verb

1 a (1) :to set right :remedy

looked to charity, not to legislation, to redress social wrongs
—W. R. Inge

(2) :to make up for :compensate

b :to remove the cause of (a grievance or complaint)

c :to exact reparation for :avenge

2 archaic

a :to requite (a person) for a wrong or loss

b :heal

—

redresser

noun

See redress defined for English-language learners

See redress defined for kids

Examples of redress in a Sentence

It is time to redress the injustices of the past.
the belief that redressing a murder with another murder, even if carried out by the state, is not morally justified

Recent Examples of redress from the Web

Affirmative action is a phrase once used to describe affirmatively redressing harm to minorities by the majority.

— steven thrasher, Esquire, "What Jeff Sessions Will Never Understand About Affirmative Action," 3 Aug. 2017
Reinsurance programmes would bring premiums down and begin to redress the imbalance.

— The Economist, "Revive, don’t repealThree steps to fix Obamacare," 20 July 2017
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, set up as a response to the abuse inflicted on indigenous students in residential schools, concluded its findings in December 2015, attempting to redress the legacy with 94 Calls to Action.

— craig taylor, Smithsonian, "See Canada Through Fresh Eyes on a First Nations Tour," 10 July 2017
The first is that the IQ gap delegitimizes policy devoted to redressing the injustices that black people have suffered.

— john mcwhorter, National Review, "Stop Obsessing Over Race and IQ," 5 July 2017
So our first three shows can use the same set, just redressed.

— john timpane, Philly.com, "Beach theater: The Surflight Theatre rises again with 'Footloose!' on Friday," 20 June 2017
Or, viciously redressing past slights, taking a 50-point lead in the playoffs over the Celtics at Boston?

— bill livingston, cleveland.com, "NBA Finals loss not the end of Cleveland Cavaliers' era as a contender: Bill Livingston," 13 June 2017
Each of the three schools and school districts has taken a distinct path to redressing the systemic problems that hamper black student achievement.

— erik gleibermann, The Atlantic, "The College-Town Achievement Gap," 1 June 2017
Advocates portray the measure as redressing a historic wrong, noting the 80-year quest to grant farmworkers rights taken for granted by other employees.

— margot roosevelt, Orange County Register, "New state laws could help some workers catch a few breaks," 1 Jan. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of redress

Middle English, from Anglo-French redresser to set upright, restore, redress, from re- + dresser to set straight — more at dress

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

redress Synonyms

Synonyms

avenge, requite, retaliate, revenge, venge [archaic]

Related Words

castigate, fix, get, penalize, punish, scourge; chasten, chastise, correct, discipline; right; compensate, pay (back), recompense, repay

Near Antonyms

absolve, condone, excuse, forgive, pardon, remit

Synonym Discussion of redress

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

redress

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noun re·dress \ ri-ˈdres , ˈrē-ˌ \

Definition of redress

1 a :relief from distress

b :means or possibility of seeking a remedy

without redress

2 :compensation for wrong or loss :reparation

3 a :an act or instance of redressing

b :retribution, correction

See redress defined for English-language learners

Examples of redress in a Sentence

the new skis were certainly an adequate redress for the lost snowboard

Recent Examples of redress from the Web

Someone with Kaepernick's level of grievance against the country's direction has no interest in a method of redress for which American men and women have died?

— bill livingston, cleveland.com, "Why Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson is wrong about player protests: Bill Livingston (photos)," 16 Aug. 2017
Or perhaps the NRA would have encouraged people to exercise their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances.

— solomon jones, Philly.com, "We're coming for you, NRA," 8 Aug. 2017
The sticking points were terms such as those that forced European consumers to seek redress in California, where the companies are based, instead of the consumer's home country.

— reuters, Fortune, "Europe Puts More Pressure on Facebook, Google, and Twitter," 25 July 2017
Second, damages should be compensatory, not punitive—a means of redress, not a way for powerful people to bankrupt their critics.

— The Economist, "Defamation laws are necessary. But they must be narrowly drawn," 13 July 2017
A jury may one day decide, now that Mrs. Palin has decided to seek redress.

— james freeman, WSJ, "Mama Grizzly v. The Gray Lady," 28 June 2017
An unprecedented political crisis of legitimacy would erupt immediately for which the Constitution has no adequate provision or means of redress.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "The Constitution Simply Was Not Built for This," 22 June 2017
Trump was firing off an average of almost 10 tweets a day between when the grope tape emerged and his Gettysburg redress.

— chris stirewalt, Fox News, "Whom will Trump trust?," 30 May 2017
As others have rehearsed, the First Amendment forbids Congress to make a law that abridges the freedom of speech or of the press, that prohibits the right to assemble or to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

— walt hunter, The Atlantic, "The New Intellectuals," 8 May 2017

First Known Use of redress

14th century

redress Synonyms

Synonyms

damages, indemnification, indemnity, quittance, recompense, recoupment, compensation, remuneration, reparation, reprisal (s), requital, restitution, satisfaction

Related Words

punitive damage, solatium; amends, atonement, expiation; refund, reimbursement, repayment; adjustment, settlement; punishment, retaliation

REDRESS Defined for English Language Learners

redress

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verb

Definition of redress for English Language Learners

: to correct (something that is unfair or wrong)

redress

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noun

Definition of redress for English Language Learners

: something (such as money) that is given to someone to make up for damage, trouble, etc.

REDRESS Defined for Kids

redress

play

verb re·dress \ ri-ˈdres \

Definition of redress for Students

redressed; redressing

:to set right :remedy

The court will redress an injustice.

Law Dictionary

redress

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noun re·dress \ ri-ˈdres, ˈrē-ˌdres \

legal Definition of redress

1 a :relief from distress

b :a means of obtaining a remedy

2 :compensation (as damages) for wrong or loss

—

redress

play \ri-ˈdres\ transitive verb

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Synonym Discussion of redress

redress

Definition of redress

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REDRESS Defined for English Language Learners

redress

Definition of redress for English Language Learners

redress

Definition of redress for English Language Learners

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redress

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redress

legal Definition of redress

redress

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