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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
And there is no English-language spelling version of it, correct? Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026 Hetzner Online reclaimed the address space 12 hours after the hijacking started by announcing the correct path. Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
Wootten was born cleft-affected and with other craniofacial differences and started undergoing surgeries to correct those differences at just four months old. Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026 This story has been updated to correct Mary Clarice Hathaway’s name. Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for correct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for correct
Adjective
  • Suffice it to say, a QB's rookie year is not always an accurate portrayal of the player that QB will become.
    Austin Mock, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • However, according to veterinarians, this calculation isn't always accurate.
    Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • But the jet rose above the normal path aircraft take on their approach to Runway 30 before dropping altitude to return back into proper position, tracking data from Flightradar24 showed.
    Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The 6,970-yard course is challenging but fair and open enough for all handicaps, from the proper tees, to have a good time.
    Langston Wertz Jr, Charlotte Observer, 6 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Because this wasn’t a traditional sit-down dinner, there wasn’t one formal tablescape.
    Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The firearms retailer never got any formal complaints at that location, according to city officials in Goleta, an affluent Santa Barbara County coastal town.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • As part of the plea agreement, the prosecution amended the first charge to reckless driving, second offense, and the second charge to a careless driving citation.
    Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Judge Darren Steele said the state amended a charge of willful, wanton reckless driving – second offense, adjudication of guilt that carried a $1,000 fine.
    Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Roebbelen said the setup generally offsets the property’s electricity consumption, although the pool house occasionally pushed use beyond that balance.
    David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The company is backing three solar projects that Meta expects to add 645 megawatts to the grid to offset the data center’s power consumption.
    Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The stock is down almost 7% this year, with Goldman saying it's been unfairly punished.
    Michael Bloom, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, China has broadcast its efforts to punish people who expressed doubt about the official narratives.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • There was skepticism about Vizzina, who threw only 105 passes in his first three years at Clemson and then was pushed by true freshman Tait Reynolds for the starting role in preseason camp.
    Antonio Morales, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • This is true for the franchise as a whole; RHOA is the city that turned Housewives into a sport that requires real skill and charisma.
    Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Don’t go looking for hushed tones, decorous silence or the other traditions of a sport whose roots exist on the hallowed lawns of polite society.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Perfection isn’t the goal, and being polite doesn’t mean being perfect.
    Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Martha Stewart, 3 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Correct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/correct. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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