correct

I. transitive verb Etymology: Middle English, from Latin correctus, past participle of corrigere, from com- + regere to lead straight — more at right Date: 14th century 1. a. to make or set right ; amend <

correct an error

> b. counteract, neutralize <

correct a harmful tendency

> c. to alter or adjust so as to bring to some standard or required condition <

correct a lens for spherical aberration

> 2. a. to punish (as a child) with a view to reforming or improving b. to point out usually for amendment the errors or faults of <

spent the day correcting tests

> • correctable adjective • corrector noun Synonyms: correct, rectify, emend, remedy, redress, amend, reform, revise mean to make right what is wrong. correct implies taking action to remove errors, faults, deviations, defects <

correct your spelling

>. rectify implies a more essential changing to make something right, just, or properly controlled or directed <

rectify a misguided policy

>. emend specifically implies correction of a text or manuscript <

emend a text

>. remedy implies removing or making harmless a cause of trouble, harm, or evil <

set out to remedy the evils of the world

>. redress implies making compensation or reparation for an unfairness, injustice, or imbalance <

redress past social injustices

>. amend, reform, revise imply an improving by making corrective changes, amend usually suggesting slight changes <

amend a law

>, reform implying drastic change <

plans to reform the court system

>, and revise suggesting a careful examination of something and the making of necessary changes <

revise the schedule

>. Synonym: see in addition punish. II. adjective Etymology: Middle English, corrected, from Latin correctus, from past participle of corrigere Date: 1668 1. conforming to an approved or conventional standard <

correct behavior

> 2. conforming to or agreeing with fact, logic, or known truth <

a correct response

> 3. conforming to a set figure <

enclosed the correct return postage

> 4. conforming to the strict requirements of a specific ideology or set of beliefs or values <

environmentally correct

> <

spiritually correct

> • correctly adverb • correctness noun Synonyms: correct, accurate, exact, precise, nice, right mean conforming to fact, standard, or truth. correct usually implies freedom from fault or error <

correct answers

> <

socially correct dress

>. accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care <

an accurate description

>. exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth <

exact measurements

>. precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation <

precise calibration

>. nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination <

makes nice distinctions

>. right is close to correct but has a stronger positive emphasis on conformity to fact or truth rather than mere absence of error or fault <

the right thing to do

>.