correct

adjective

OPAL W

/kəˈrekt/

Idioms

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accurate or true, without any mistakes synonym right
- Do you have the correct time?
- the correct answer
- When asked to pick the correct meaning from four alternatives, students consistently chose the correct one.
- Please check that these details are correct.
- ‘Are you in charge here?’ ‘That's correct.’
- As always, your grandmother is absolutely correct.
- correct in something They were correct in their assessment of the situation.
- correct in doing something Am I correct in saying that you know a lot about wine?
- it is correct to do something It is correct to say that Camus's philosophy can be divided into two periods.
- it is correct (that)… It is correct that there are some similarities between the two cases.
opposite incorrect
Synonyms true
true
- right
- correct
These words all describe something that cannot be doubted as fact and includes no mistakes.
- true connected with facts rather than things that have been invented or guessed:
  Are the following statements true or false?
  Is it true (that) she’s leaving?
- right that is true and cannot be doubted as a fact:
  I got about half the answers right.
  What’s the right time?
- correct right according to the facts and without any mistakes:
  Only one of the answers is correct.
  Check that all the details are correct.
right or correct?Correct is more formal than right and is more likely to be used in official or formal instructions or documents.Patterns
- right/correct about somebody/something
- the true/right/correct answer
- the right/correct time
Extra Examples
- His estimate has turned out to be more or less correct.
- His first idea proved correct.
- I think I am correct in saying that this project is the first of its kind in this country.
- None of the explanations offered is demonstrably correct—or demonstrably incorrect.
- The diagram is correct in every detail.
- The flower drawings are all to scale and botanically correct.
- The sentence is grammatically correct, but not very idiomatic.
- What you say is perfectly correct, but it gives the wrong impression.
- Am I correct in thinking that you know a lot about wine?
- Check that all the details are correct.
- I don't think she's correct to say he's incompetent.
- Only one of the answers is correct.
- They say that he was against women getting the vote, but that's not entirely correct.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verbs
- be
- prove
- seem
- …
adverb
- absolutely
- completely
- entirely
- …
preposition
- in
See full entry
right and suitable, so that something is done as it should be done
- the correct procedure/approach
- Do you know the correct way to shut the machine down?
- I think you've made the correct decision.
Synonyms right
rightcorrectBoth these words describe a belief, opinion, decision or method that is suitable or the best one for a particular situation.
- right if somebody is right to do or think something, that is a good thing to do or think in that situation:
  You’re right to be cautious.
  You made the right decision.
  ‘It’s not easy.’ ‘Yes, you’re right.’
- correct (of a method, belief, opinion or decision) right and suitable in a particular situation:
  What’s the correct way to shut the machine down?
  I don’t think she’s correct to say he’s incompetent.
right or correct?Correct is more formal than right. It is more often used for methods and right is more often used for beliefs, opinions and decisions.Patterns
- right/correct about somebody/something
- right/correct to do something
- right/correct in thinking/believing/saying something
- the right/correct decision/judgement/conclusion
- the right/correct way/method/approach
- absolutely/quite right/correct
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verbs
- be
- prove
- seem
- …
adverb
- absolutely
- completely
- entirely
- …
preposition
- in
See full entry
taking care to speak or behave in a way that follows the accepted standards or rules
- a correct young lady
- He is always very correct in his speech.
opposite incorrect

correct

verb

/kəˈrekt/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they correct	/kəˈrekt/ /kəˈrekt/
he / she / it corrects	/kəˈrekts/ /kəˈrekts/
past simple corrected	/kəˈrektɪd/ /kəˈrektɪd/
past participle corrected	/kəˈrektɪd/ /kəˈrektɪd/
-ing form correcting	/kəˈrektɪŋ/ /kəˈrektɪŋ/

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to make something right or accurate, for example by changing it or removing mistakes
- correct something to correct an error
- Read through your work and correct any mistakes that you find.
- I thought we had corrected the problem.
- Their eyesight can be corrected in just a few minutes by the use of a laser.
- They issued a statement correcting the one they had made earlier.
- correct yourself He stopped and corrected himself. ‘I mean fifteen, not fifty.’
- correct something for something The data were corrected for the effects of age and gender.
Extra Examples
- At this stage you should be able to correct at least some of your own mistakes.
- I'd like to correct the impression that my client has any kind of criminal record.
- Minor problems with eyesight can now be corrected in a few seconds.
- They issued a statement correcting what they had said earlier.
correct something (of a teacher) to mark the mistakes in a piece of work (and sometimes give a mark to the work)
- I spent all evening correcting essays.
Extra Examples
- It's simply not true that teachers no longer correct bad spellings.
- When I've corrected your assignments, I want you to write them out again.
to tell somebody that they have made a mistake
- correct somebody Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this last year's brochure?
- Yes, you're right—I stand corrected (= I accept that I made a mistake).
- correct somebody + speech ‘It's Yates, not Wates,’ she corrected him.
- ‘She's his girlfriend.’ ‘His sister,’ Ian corrected.
Express Yourself Correcting yourself
Correcting yourselfWhen you say something that was not quite what you intended, you can correct yourself in various ways:
- I'll be there at five fifteen, I mean five fifty—ten to six.
- It'll be Tuesday—sorry, I meant to say Thursday.
- Sorry, what I mean is, we need two handouts per person.
- We can meet in the conference centre—or rather in front of the centre.
- The painter—or should I say, the sculptor—was born in Padua.
- It's one t and double s—no, sorry, one s and double t.
- It's on the fifth floor—no, actually, it's the fourth.
- Can I get two lattes and an espresso—no, scratch that—three lattes?
  (North American English, informal)
- There are three items on tonight's agenda. Correction, four items.

Word OriginMiddle English (as a verb): from Latin correct- ‘made straight, amended’, from the verb corrigere, from cor- ‘together’ + regere ‘guide’. The adjective is via French.