correct
/kəˈrɛkt
/adjective
1Free from error; in accordance with fact or truth: make sure you have been given the correct information...
- Without the ability to gather correct information and facts a free person cannot make decisions and choices.
- The templates help ensure that the correct information is in fact recorded and stored.
- They want to kill the messenger although he is speaking the truth and his facts are correct.
Synonyms
right, accurate, true, veracious, exact, precise, unerring, faithful, strict, faultless, flawless, errorless, error-free, perfect, word-perfect, scrupulous, meticulous;
on the right track, along the right lines
informal OK, on the mark, on the beam, on the nail, on the button
British informal spot on, bang on
North American informal on the money
1.1 [predicative] Not mistaken in one’s opinion or judgement; right: [with infinitive]: the government was correct to follow a course of defeating inflation...
- They were correct in their judgement not to rush into a quick decision in appointing the new man.
- The Court of Appeal, in our opinion, was correct in applying the dicta of the Acting Chief Justice and did so without error.
- If they were correct in their opinion, then the Constitution is on their side.
1.2Meeting the requirements of or most appropriate for a particular situation or activity: cut the top and bottom tracks to the correct length with a hacksaw...
- Please co-operate by only depositing the correct recyclables in the appropriate containers.
- Gone is the need to manually set the VCR whilst separately ensuring the cable box is on the correct channel at the appropriate time.
- When the library receives a media request from an application, it mounts the appropriate cartridge to the correct drive.
1.3(Of a person or their appearance or behaviour) conforming to accepted social standards; proper: he was a polite man, invariably correct and pleasant with Mrs Collins...
- Therefore, while we are not always to blame for their behavior, we are correct to feel responsible.
- He is the fountain-head of good manners and correct social behaviour as well as the ultimate spiritual and ethical guide.
- In a normal society something like Hooke's Law would operate on them as they veered out of the groove of correct behaviour.
Synonyms
proper, seemly, decorous, decent, respectable, right, suitable, fit, fitting, befitting, appropriate, apt;
conventional, approved, accepted, standard, usual, customary, traditional, orthodox;
French comme il faut
informal OK
1.4chiefly North American Conforming to a particular political or ideological orthodoxy: the materials used are as environmentally correct as possible...See also politically correct.
- Though for the most part politically left of center, they refuse to abide by the heavy jargon of correct political thinking.
- Those wearing different coloured clothing or growing their hair long were seen as having problems with correct political thinking.
- This means it cannot be treated as general news; the correct political line must be observed.
verb [with object]
1Put right (an error or fault): the Council issued a statement correcting some points in the press reports...
- However, only one of the faults was corrected, it emerged yesterday.
- Residents of neighbouring Brandon Grove are without electricity for two hours tonight while the fault is corrected.
- How it has taken almost a month to correct whatever fault that has rendered the traffic lights at this dangerous junction inoperable is beyond me.
Synonyms
rectify, put right, set right, right, amend, emend, remedy, redress, cure, square, make good, improve, better, ameliorate, repair, revise, alter, edit, rewrite, redraft, rescript, reword, rework;
sort out, clear up, deal with
informal patch up, clean up, iron out
1.1Mark the errors in (a written or printed text): he corrected Dixon’s writing for publication...
- The proofreader then corrects the text and the editor looks through it again and makes the final changes.
- We are grateful to J. Eckart for correcting the English text.
- Though Ernst says he repeatedly offered to correct the text free of charge, his overtures were rejected.
Synonyms
indicate errors in, show mistakes in, point out faults in;
mark, assess, evaluate, appraise
1.2Tell (someone) that they are mistaken: he had assumed she was married and she had not corrected him...
- I stand corrected by Justin, Arbiter of Absolute Truth in Minor Jokes.
- Howard sips claret from a picnic hamper as he corrects other people's mistakes.
- But I call upon any antepost dog experts in the audience to correct me if I'm mistaken.
Synonyms
scold, rebuke, chide, reprimand, reprove, admonish, lecture, berate, chastise, castigate
1.3Counteract or rectify: the steel industry’s current overcapacity will be corrected this year...
- Therefore, income splitting for couples with dependent children rectifies and corrects a fundamental anomaly in the present tax system.
- Nobel counters and corrects a lot of PR-driven conventional wisdom about the plans, designs, objectives, and personalities that dominated the redevelopment process.
- Tony has provided Andrei with spectacles to correct the cast he has in one eye and thinks he will be able to improve the sight in the other eye as well.
Synonyms
counteract, offset, counterbalance, compensate for, make up for, neutralize
1.4Adjust (an instrument) to function accurately or accord with a standard: motorists can have their headlights tested and corrected at a reduced price on Saturday...
- We corrected our instruments and completed the rest of the transition with that question in the back of our craniums.
- When instruments or reagents were the cause of the problems, we corrected the function of the instruments or reagents and reanalyzed the specimens.
- When necessary, the instrument location was corrected by matching the observed and computed primary and first multiple water-wave arrivals.
Synonyms
adjust, regulate, fix, set, set right, set to rights, standardize, normalize, calibrate, fine-tune, make good, put in working order, overhaul
informal jigger, tweak, twiddle, patch up, see to
1.5Adjust (a numerical result or reading) to allow for departure from standard conditions: data were corrected for radionuclide decay...
- The results were corrected for both VA and hemoglobin.
- Erythrocyte folate results were corrected for the subjects' hematocrits and serum folate concentrations.
- Data were also added from a New South Wales specimen and the result was corrected for logarithmic transformation bias.
Derivatives
correctable
/ adjective ...- Then consider how many laws, taxes, and restrictions have been imposed when it's not clear that there is a problem that's correctable.
- Amblyopia or lazy eye is characterised by poor vision that is not correctable with glasses in an otherwise normal and healthy eye.
- Many people have vision problems that are correctable with glasses or contact lenses.
Origin
Middle English (as a verb): from Latin correct- 'made straight, amended', from the verb corrigere, from cor- 'together' + regere 'guide'. The adjective is via French.
If you correct something you put it straight, for it comes from the Latin corrigere ‘make straight, amend’. Someone who is incorrigible (Middle English) cannot be straightened out or corrected.