Word of the Day
: May 13, 2026rectify
playWhat It Means
Rectify is a formal word meaning “to correct (something that is wrong).”
// We were given the wrong room key, but the hotel management quickly rectified the situation.
rectify in Context
“NYC contributes roughly 54.5% of state revenue but receives only 40.5% back. Our budget proposals work to rectify this unsustainable imbalance and restore the funding our city deserves.” — Cordell Cleare, The New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Did You Know?
When you rectify something, you correct an error or make things right, which is fitting because rectify and correct both ultimately trace back to the Latin word regere, meaning “to lead straight,” “to direct,” or “to rule.” Rectify has had its “to set right” meaning since the early 16th century, but the word has over the years accrued various other meanings as well, including the specialized uses “to purify especially by repeated or fractional distillation” (as in “rectified alcohol”), “to make (an alternating current) unidirectional,” and several medical applications having to do with healing of one kind or another. Regere plays a part in the histories of several familiar English words, in addition to those mentioned above; the many relatives of rectify include direct, resurrection, and regimen.
Test Your Vocabulary with M-W Quizzes
Name That Synonym
Unscramble the letters to reveal a synonym of rectify that can also refer to a medicine, application, or treatment that relieves or cures a disease: DEEMRY.
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