1
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
2
as in punitive
inflicting, involving, or serving as punishment
a corrective sentence of five years' hard labor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
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
2
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
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Recent Examples of corrective
Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 25 Oct. 2025
To Kean, these attempts to resurrect the past are a refreshing corrective to traditional archeology.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Dan Brooks, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025
The 2025 College Rankings from Washington Monthly offer a corrective.
—Bruno V. Manno, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for corrective
Adjective
In 2006, the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a corrective action order, requiring the company to address integrity issues along the entirety of its 3,900-mile Pacific Coast pipelines after a rise in pipeline incidents.
—Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 25 Oct. 2025
To Kean, these attempts to resurrect the past are a refreshing corrective to traditional archeology.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
Some of these values—such as a disciplined commitment to physical fitness—are good and, in my opinion, necessary correctives to the enervating distractions of 21st-century living.
—Dan Brooks, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2025
The 2025 College Rankings from Washington Monthly offer a corrective.
—Bruno V. Manno, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 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
Adjective
-
Under federal law, Hatton said, civil detainees — including undocumented immigrants — must be held under conditions that are not punitive.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Walsh and his leadership team insist their version is voluntary, not punitive.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The market for voluntary carbon offset and removal credits has been struggling for the last several years to repair a reputation sullied by numerous greenwashing scandals.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
11 Nov. 2025
-
These spring-blooming bulbs naturalize easily and spread through self-seeding and new offsets that form on the bulbs underground.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Pelosi became the first speaker to regain the office in some 50 years, and her second term, from 2019 to 2023, became potentially more consequential than the first, particularly as the Democratic Party’s antidote to Trump.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Mamdani is a potential antidote to that malaise.—
Sally Susman,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Industry pushback and innovation concerns Some tech companies argue that such regulation could stifle innovation, limit beneficial uses of conversational AI (education, mental-health support for older teens) or impose heavy compliance burdens.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
However, most are weaker and can deliver beneficial precipitation to water supplies, according to NOAA.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The correctional center, located on a military base about 40 miles outside Philadelphia, became Combs' home after his attorneys complained about the conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Then, correctional officers and medical staff arrived.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Foden has improved the defensive side of his game to the point that Guardiola trusts him to play a more complete role in the centre of the pitch, but going with such a fluid line-up does risk exposing City on the counter.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The rise of digital payment systems has made tipping both easier and more awkward, especially when prompts appear at counters, kiosks and drive-thru windows.—
Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Considering these outcomes, what seems like a speedy remedy can actually create conditions for longer-term problems—both in relation to the environment and the home itself.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The company said a recall remedy is imminent but, until then, owners should park away from structures and refrain from charging vehicles because of fire risks.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Corrective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corrective. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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