corrective

adjective

cor·​rec·​tive kə-ˈrek-tiv 

: intended to correct

corrective lenses

corrective punishment

corrective noun

correctively adverb

Synonyms of corrective

• reformative
• beneficial
• remedial

Examples of corrective in a Sentence

She had corrective surgery on her knee this past summer.

People with bad eyesight usually need to wear corrective lenses, such as eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Recent Examples on the Web

With all that out of the way, this is an extraordinary document, and a very important corrective to The Last Waltz. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2026

What often shapes public perception is whether a company communicates openly, cooperates with regulators, and demonstrates a willingness to take immediate corrective action. — Gary Occhiogrosso, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

There have been no corrective actions, no resignations of the ADA staff who were involved—and no identification of the person(s) responsible for the decision to forcibly remove the scientists in the first place. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026

Otherwise the agenda goes from being a corrective to a withdrawal. — Sunny Patel, STAT, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing corrective

• self-corrective

Rhymes for corrective

• advective
• affective
• collective
• connective
• convective
• defective
• detective
• directive
• effective
• elective
• infective
• injective

Kids Definition

corrective

adjective

cor·​rec·​tive kə-ˈrek-tiv 

: serving to correct : having the power of making right, normal, or regular

corrective lenses

corrective action

corrective noun

Medical Definition

corrective

1 of 2 adjective

cor·​rec·​tive kə-ˈrek-tiv 

: intended to correct

corrective lenses

corrective surgery

correctively adverb

corrective

2 of 2 noun

: a medication that removes undesirable or unpleasant side effects of other medication

phenobarbital acts as a corrective in overcoming the insomnia produced by ephedrine