corrective

adjective

cor·​rec·​tive kə-ˈrek-tiv 

: intended to correct

corrective lenses

corrective punishment

corrective noun

correctively adverb

Synonyms

• amendatory
• rectifying
• remedial
• remedying
• reformative
• reformatory

Examples of corrective in a Sentence

She had corrective surgery on her knee this past summer.

People with bad eyesight usually need to wear corrective lenses, such as eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Recent Examples on the Web

Buyers who have sought relief from the city have gotten nowhere: Emails, phone calls and meetings have prompted no corrective action. —Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025

These moves underscore how crucial the pardon power really is: the last possible corrective when the criminal justice system imprisons too many people and punishes them too harshly. —Abdallah Fayyad, Vox, 17 Jan. 2025

Fines range from €5,000 to €40,000, with additional penalties for delays in corrective actions or failure to cooperate with enforcement bodies. —Ran Ronen, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025

If all of that was a corrective for policies past, the working class proved to be in an unforgiving mood in November. —Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing corrective

• self-corrective

Kids Definition

corrective

adjective

cor·​rec·​tive kə-ˈrek-tiv 

: serving to correct : having the power of making right, normal, or regular

corrective lenses

corrective action

corrective noun

Medical Definition

corrective

1 of 2 adjective

cor·​rec·​tive kə-ˈrek-tiv 

: intended to correct

corrective lenses

corrective surgery

correctively adverb

corrective

2 of 2 noun

: a medication that removes undesirable or unpleasant side effects of other medication

phenobarbital acts as a corrective in overcoming the insomnia produced by ephedrine