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
Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 19 Dec. 2025
In the closing moments of Kansas City’s loss to the Chargers, Mahomes suffered a severe knee injury that required corrective ACL and LCL surgery Monday night.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 18 Dec. 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
The corrective action plan gave the school until the end of the year to present findings of the new investigation, but the staff report says that there was a difference in understanding of when the coach allegations report would be presented.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 19 Dec. 2025
In the closing moments of Kansas City’s loss to the Chargers, Mahomes suffered a severe knee injury that required corrective ACL and LCL surgery Monday night.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 18 Dec. 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
-
So over the past year and a bit, China had put very punitive tariffs on Canadian agricultural products and fish and seafood, shutting Canadians out from one of their primary markets, if not for some of them, their primary market.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
-
But the pressure isn’t punitive.—
Shaw Walters,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Houses have been being built here since the early 1900s, and so there's different offsets.—
Ted Scouten,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Top with half of the Nutella, swirling it into the batter with a small offset spatula or a butter knife.—
Midwest Living,
Midwest Living,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The analysis suggests that visitors consistently describe the experience as magical, romantic, and uplifting, which is a reliable antidote to winter gloom.—
Kaitlyn McInnis,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Addressing this shortage is the antidote to rising prices, Jenny Schuetz, vice president of infrastructure for housing at the philanthropic think-tank Arnold Ventures, says in a statement to TIME.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Whole grains include the bran, germ, and endosperm—parts of the grain that provide fiber, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and beneficial plant compounds.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The environmental groups argued that retiring Unit 1 is economically and environmentally beneficial to Colorado and does not pose a risk to the electrical system’s reliability.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The senior psychiatrist also helps run specialized treatment programs, takes part in hiring new psychiatrists, advises correctional staff on mental health issues and handles other tasks when needed.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Todd Randall Wilcox, a correctional health-care physician and the former president of the American College of Correctional Physicians, reviewed the medical records associated with Roque Campos’s hospital visits, as part of expert testimony for the class-action suit.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Soda drinkers have been experimenting with mash-ups for decades — ever since fast-food restaurants moved soda machines out from behind the counter and gave customers free rein to mix their own drinks, Tofel said.—
Brittany Anas,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Once a counter-puncher, Svitolina plays a more aggressive style since returning from maternity leave.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There is a bit of an ideological bent to the debate over whether, for example, federal courts can provide remedies for unconstitutional actions by federal officers without an express act of Congress.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Do not make your own elderberry remedies without consulting experts on how to make them safely.—
Julie Scott,
Verywell Health,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Corrective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corrective. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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