CORRECTIVE Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

corrective 1 of 2

adjective

kə-ˈrek-tiv

Definition of corrective

as in reformative

serving to raise or adjust something to some standard or proper condition eyeglasses are called corrective lenses by the department of motor vehicles

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in punitive

inflicting, involving, or serving as punishment a corrective sentence of five years' hard labor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

corrective

2 of 2

noun

as in offset

a force or influence that makes an opposing force ineffective or less effective a substantial outflow of people proved to be the necessary corrective for the spiraling cost of housing

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in antidote

something that corrects or counteracts something undesirable the only corrective to bad behavior is good, firm discipline

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 corrective

Adjective

These trajectories document a robot’s behavior before an intervention, the moment a human operator takes control, and the corrective actions used to recover or complete the task. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026 As a direct result of Hinton’s leadership, Holifield said, the city of Cincinnati passed a 19-point corrective action plan from the NAACP to address discrimination against city workers. — Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Sep. 2026

Noun

The Young Hoteliers Academy positions itself as a corrective. — Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025 His most ambitious series to date, Pluribus can be seen as a corrective of sorts—a grand, artful, mind-bendingly philosophical, darkly funny, sometimes heartbreaking, but consistently humane vindication of our fractious species. — Judy Berman, Time, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for corrective

Recent Examples of Synonyms for corrective

Adjective

As part of the reformative aims of the convict system, many of these men were incarcerated at Fremantle Prison, trained, and put to work on infrastructure projects such as bridges, roads, and public buildings.

— Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
Fifty-five years after Martin Luther King's death, African Americans continue to proudly honor his reformative legacy in Phoenix.

— The Arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 14 Jan. 2024

Definition of reformative

Noun

Step 6 Run a small offset spatula around edges of cake to loosen, then invert out onto rack.

— Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026
Chinese Money Plant Chinese money plants (Pilea peperomioides) often produce offsets or baby plants, which are easy to divide and repot into their own containers.

— Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of offset

Adjective

While Mayor Mamdani’s statements on Israel have drawn much attention, a prior mayor’s tenure offers a powerful paradigm for transcending controversy to pursue mutually beneficial partnerships.

— Herbert Block, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
Sports teams often enjoyed long and beneficial relationships with brokers, who bought out blocks of season tickets.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of beneficial

Adjective

Three men, one an off-duty Cook County correctional officer, were wounded during an argument overnight in the city’s River North neighborhood, according to authorities.

— Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
It’s been ten years since Si Ren, a man rumored to have no genitals, has left a military-style correctional camp.

— Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of correctional

Noun

Ask to eat a meal at the chef’s counter; watching the young kitchen team work is its own show.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2026
In the play’s first act, men show up at a dive bar in Kingston, New York, order a Bud Light, and hand over an envelope to the disaffected man behind the counter named Joey (played by Bubba Weiler) before heading to a back room.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of counter

Noun

Being unable to sell may preserve ownership, which can affect the statutory remedy available.

— Ethan Stone, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
One possible remedy would be to make it so that glasses detect their location and automatically disable recording in sensitive areas like playgrounds and locker rooms.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of remedy

Browse Nearby Words

correctitude

corrective

correctives

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Style

“Corrective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corrective. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of corrective

adjective

noun

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