correct
Americanverb (used with object)
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to set or make true, accurate, or right; remove the errors or faults from: The new glasses corrected his eyesight.
The native guide corrected our pronunciation.
The new glasses corrected his eyesight.
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to point out or mark the errors in.
The teacher corrected the examination papers.
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to scold, rebuke, or punish in order to improve.
Should parents correct their children in public?
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to counteract the operation or effect of (something hurtful or undesirable).
The medication will correct stomach acidity.
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Mathematics, Physics. to alter or adjust so as to bring into accordance with a standard or with a required condition.
verb (used without object)
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to make a correction or corrections.
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(of stock prices) to reverse a trend, especially temporarily, as after a sharp advance or decline in previous trading sessions.
adjective
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conforming to fact or truth; free from error; accurate.
a correct answer.
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in accordance with an acknowledged or accepted standard; proper.
correct behavior.
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(of a judgment or opinion) just or right.
I feel this decision is correct because of the defendant’s age.
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characterized by or adhering to a liberal or progressive ideology on matters of ethnicity, religion, sexuality, ecology, etc..
Is it environmentally correct to buy a real Christmas tree?
Most of the judges in this district have correct political views.
verb
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to make free from errors
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to indicate the errors in
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to rebuke or punish in order to set right or improve
to correct a child
to stand corrected
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to counteract or rectify (a malfunction, ailment, etc)
these glasses will correct your sight
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to adjust or make conform, esp to a standard
adjective
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free from error; true; accurate
the correct version
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in conformity with accepted standards
correct behaviour
Synonym Usage
See punish. Correct, accurate, precise imply conformity to fact, standard, or truth. A correct statement is one free from error, mistakes, or faults. An accurate statement is one that shows careful conformity to fact, truth, or spirit. A precise statement shows scrupulously strict and detailed conformity to fact.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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correctabilitynoun
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correctibilitynoun
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correctnessnoun
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correctornoun
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recorrectverb (used with object)
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correctableadjective
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correctibleadjective
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uncorrectedadjective
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well-correctedadjective
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correctlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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correctsimple
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correctssimple
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have correctedperfect
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has correctedperfect
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am correctingprogressive
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are correctingprogressive
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is correctingprogressive
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have been correctingperfect progressive
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has been correctingperfect progressive
Past
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correctedsimple
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had correctedperfect
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was correctingprogressive
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were correctingprogressive
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had been correctingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of correct
First recorded in 1300–50; (verb) Middle English correcten, from Anglo-French correcter, from Latin corrēctus (past participle of corrigere “to make straight, set right”) equivalent to cor- cor- + reg- (stem of regere “to keep straight, make straight, guide” ( see direct) + -tus past participle suffix; (adjective) from French correct, from Latin, as above
Explanation
When something is true, legitimate or right, you can say it's correct, using the word as an adjective. It can also be a verb; to correct wrong answers is to adjust them to make them right. The origin of correct can be found in the Latin word regere, "to guide," which became correctus as the past participle of corrigere, meaning "to straighten." When you correct your posture, you sit up straight. Sometimes when your cell phone tries to correct your spelling you can end up with some amusing sentences.
Vocabulary lists containing correct
Century 21 Accounting, 9e, Chapters 4-7
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"The time available to correct course is now short."
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
If that is correct, Keeunamorphia could represent one of the earliest marsupial orders to branch off from the main lineage.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
The only thing in your mind, I assure you, is getting the decisions correct.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Los Angeles authorities have insisted that their original classification of Salehpour’s death was correct — and accused her wealthy family of trying to twist the facts to serve their narrative of what happened.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
“It seems the Swanburne motto is proven correct: No hopeless case is truly without hope. I will read this diary, and I will learn the origins of this curse upon my family...ah—ah—choo!”
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
“It’s not a romance, it’s a love story,” she immediately corrects him.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026
As the market corrects its math, the quality names should outperform.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
The system includes specialized data processing that i.e. corrects for factors such as Earth tides.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 15, 2026
On Monday, Renfe President Álvaro Fernández Heredia apparently ruled out "human error", telling RNE TV show Las Mañanas that, if "the driver makes a mistake, the system itself corrects it".
From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2026
“But, it’s Peña with an n,” she corrects.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
The image was cropped, enhanced to improve contrast, and corrected to remove lens artifacts.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
The company’s stock has corrected around 20% from its March high, which brings its valuations back to attractive levels, she adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
If VAR had been available, Scottish referee Hugh Dallas could have corrected the missed call, awarding a penalty and giving Frings a red card, expelling him for the final 40 minutes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
That imbalance will be corrected and the two measures will converge.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
But one look at the male Kurowskis corrected my thinking.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
After correcting, he was greeted by a section of The Oval crowd rising to applaud him.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
Coleman explained that when answering the phones, the first step is often correcting the way callers think.
From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026
It could also lower the dollar, further correcting those deficits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Treating old stem cells with the lysosomal inhibitor increased their blood-forming ability in living animals by more than eightfold, highlighting the powerful regenerative effects of correcting lysosomal dysfunction.
From Science Daily ● May 12, 2026
For months no one could mention the daughter's name in his presence, though he kept calling them all "Sofía" and quickly correcting himself.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.