redress 1 of 2

Definition of redressnext

redress

2 of 2

verb

as in to avenge
to punish in kind the wrongdoer responsible for the belief that redressing a murder with another murder, even if carried out by the state, is not morally justified

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb redress differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of redress are amend, correct, emend, rectify, reform, remedy, and revise. While all these words mean "to make right what is wrong," redress implies making compensation or reparation for an unfairness, injustice, or imbalance.

redress past social injustices

How is amend related to other words for redress?

Amend, reform, and revise imply an improving by making corrective changes, amend usually suggesting slight changes.

amend a law

When might correct be a better fit than redress?

The synonyms correct and redress are sometimes interchangeable, but correct implies taking action to remove errors, faults, deviations, defects.

correct your spelling

Where would emend be a reasonable alternative to redress?

Although the words emend and redress have much in common, emend specifically implies correction of a text or manuscript.

emend a text

When is rectify a more appropriate choice than redress?

The words rectify and redress can be used in similar contexts, but rectify implies a more essential changing to make something right, just, or properly controlled or directed.

rectify a misguided policy

In what contexts can reform take the place of redress?

While the synonyms reform and redress are close in meaning, reform implies drastic change.

plans to reform the court system

When can remedy be used instead of redress?

The words remedy and redress are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, remedy implies removing or making harmless a cause of trouble, harm, or evil.

set out to remedy the evils of the world

When could revise be used to replace redress?

In some situations, the words revise and redress are roughly equivalent. However, revise suggests a careful examination of something and the making of necessary changes.

revise the schedule

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 redress
Noun
The book scans as a form of redress—an attempt to reconcile not only the demands of the workplace with the true self but also the apparent contradiction between competitiveness and care. Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 The company also must pay to retain an independent, third-party supervisor to monitor its compliance with the consumer-redress distribution process. Todd Spangler, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
Then, in the wake of George Floyd's viral murder and the national reckoning over Black lives, institutions like the Recording Academy began redressing their historic role in Black artists being criminally overlooked. Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025 This is also a chance for Köhler to redress his reaction to the event, and to examine how his reflexive transformation into a white savior may have been more for his own benefit than anything else. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for redress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for redress
Noun
  • None of the victims or their descendants received any direct reparations from the city or state.
    Caleb Gayle, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Program staff help with translation and annual reparations applications to the Claims Conference.
    Dana Toppel, Oc Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Inspired by real events, the film tells the story of a frontiersman in the 1800s who is left for dead and must survive a brutal winter in the wilderness before returning to avenge his son’s death.
    Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Kendrick De Luna and Landon Seaman each added 10 points and Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro contributed nine points and six rebounds for the Titans (10-12 overall, 5-5 Big West), who avenged a 94-91 home loss to the Mustangs (7-14, 3-6) in the conference opener in December.
    Oc Register, Oc Register, 25 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Once public, OpenAI’s compensation packages may also become less attractive in some ways; new hires would receive stock options rather than pre-IPO equity, and those options may or may not prove valuable depending on the company’s post-IPO performance and stock price trajectory.
    Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
  • At the time, film and TV writers were boycotting major studios and fighting for fair compensation.
    Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Court records indicate the case went to trial in 2017 and the jury found that while Page was negligent, that negligence was not the cause of damages suffered by Miller.
    Clark Kauffman, Des Moines Register, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Texas Business Courts were created in 2024 to take on complex business litigation in cases seeking more than $5 million in damages.
    Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Redress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/redress. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on redress

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