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Definition of correctnext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word correct different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of correct are accurate, exact, nice, precise, and right. While all these words mean "conforming to fact, standard, or truth," correct usually implies freedom from fault or error.

correct answers
socially correct dress

When could accurate be used to replace correct?

The synonyms accurate and correct are sometimes interchangeable, but accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care.

an accurate description

When can exact be used instead of correct?

The words exact and correct are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth.

exact measurements

Where would nice be a reasonable alternative to correct?

While in some cases nearly identical to correct, nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination.

makes nice distinctions

How do precise and exact relate to one another, in the sense of correct?

Precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation.

precise calibration

How are the words right and correct related?

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of correct
Adjective
Every detail will be period-correct, creating an immersive experience that brings the Revolutionary era to life. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2026 While some use leverage strategically, many are overexposed, risking severe losses when markets inevitably correct, proving even good ideas can fail without surviving volatility. Andrew Graham, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
The restaurant was cleared to reopen the next day after correcting the violations. Ruyuan Li. Story Produced With Ai Assistance, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026 This recap has been updated to correct the actor who plays Djen. Andy Andersen, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for correct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for correct
Adjective
  • The prerequisite to knowing business value is a cost model that is comprehensive, accurate and trusted.
    Udam Dewaraja, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • My son was diagnosed with a spontaneous variant resulting in Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome, and my daughter ultimately received an accurate genetic diagnosis of Phelan-McDermid syndrome after years of unanswered questions.
    Brad Quick, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Watson said Martinez was known for riding responsibly and always wearing proper safety gear.
    Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Of course, no proper French meal would be complete without wine.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The framework the surgeons built around it required formal disclosure of the atlas's origin to readers, to surgical teams, and to patients, along with bioethicist review and a memorial to the people depicted.
    Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Iran’s government holds annual formal ceremonies in Tehran to honor their memory.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Missouri Amendment 2 Amendment 2 would amend the state constitution to require all charter counties, including Jackson County, to elect rather than appoint their county assessor.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Most of that expense is the work of teaching thousands of point-of-sale systems which specific products qualify in which specific state—a definition that shifts every time a waiver is approved, amended or thrown out.
    Elie Y. Katz, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Additional private investment is being courted to offset that burden on Cypriot consumers while additional EU funding is being weighed, said Damianos.
    ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Does that mean going to the gym isn’t enough to offset hours spent watching television?
    Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Restrictions have extended outside the classroom, with some teachers being fired or punished for criticizing conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his assassination.
    Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich faces a fight for political survival in elections in October after angering his fellow West Bank settlers by voting not to punish ultra-Orthodox Jews who refuse to serve in the military.
    Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • But regardless of any lack of confidence in Hamas’ true intentions, in Mladenov’s faith in the ability to verify weapons decommissioning, or indeed Netanyahu’s own willingness to order any troop withdrawals, why poke Trump so publicly in the eye?
    Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • This problem-first strategy is crucial for unlocking AI's true potential.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Get to Know the Employees A polite conversation can go a long way, especially in a city like mine, where people usually expect a conversation with a stranger to go poorly.
    Aliyah Rodriguez, The Spruce, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Fejzo is in her late fifties, petite and brunette, with birdlike features and a polite intensity.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Correct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/correct. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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