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Definition of correctnext
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correct

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word correct different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of correct are accurate, exact, nice, precise, and right. While all these words mean "conforming to fact, standard, or truth," correct usually implies freedom from fault or error.

correct answers
socially correct dress

When could accurate be used to replace correct?

The synonyms accurate and correct are sometimes interchangeable, but accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care.

an accurate description

When can exact be used instead of correct?

The words exact and correct are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth.

exact measurements

Where would nice be a reasonable alternative to correct?

While in some cases nearly identical to correct, nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination.

makes nice distinctions

How do precise and exact relate to one another, in the sense of correct?

Precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation.

precise calibration

How are the words right and correct related?

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

How is the word correct different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of correct are accurate, exact, nice, precise, and right. While all these words mean "conforming to fact, standard, or truth," correct usually implies freedom from fault or error.

correct answers
socially correct dress

When could accurate be used to replace correct?

The synonyms accurate and correct are sometimes interchangeable, but accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care.

an accurate description

When can exact be used instead of correct?

The words exact and correct are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth.

exact measurements

Where would nice be a reasonable alternative to correct?

While in some cases nearly identical to correct, nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination.

makes nice distinctions

How do precise and exact relate to one another, in the sense of correct?

Precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation.

precise calibration

How are the words right and correct related?

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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of correct
Adjective
If the debt is legitimate and the amount is correct, responding to the lawsuit also opens the door for settlement negotiations. Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026 With visibility into price variation and payment mechanics, plan sponsors could conduct meaningful audits, correct errors and reward efficient providers. Bobby Jindal, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
Government intervention aims to correct the difference between the curves to increase the consumption of merit goods. Bylaura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026 The manager ordered more sanitizer and bleach during the inspection, and the dishware was corrected to be washed manually until the dishwasher has more sanitizer. Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for correct
Recent Examples of Synonyms for correct
Adjective
  • Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.
    Cody Godwin, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Hedrick also won a Fiesta Bowl, in 2014, and was hailed as one of the most accurate passers in the nation.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • City leaders in Brookhaven are reminding residents that cutting down trees without proper approval could come with consequences, as officials double down on efforts to preserve the city's tree canopy.
    Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
  • While there is no cure for the disease, shelters say proper cleaning protocols can help control its spread, and vaccination remains the most effective form of prevention.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Upstairs at Place, things are a little more formal.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Motsepe’s name as a future ANC leader often appears in fragments — in business conversations, in official corridors, in the soft intelligence that travels ahead of formal politics.
    Sam Mkokeli, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • And Cipriani later amended his complaint adding Paramount, David and Larry Ellisons, RedBird Capital and Paramount’s board of directors as defendants.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended in 1996, directed the EPA to publish the Contaminant Candidate List every five years.
    ABC News, ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Members of the United States Congress recently introduced bills that would provide money to Americans to offset the cost of tariffs.
    Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Mar. 2026
  • The transportation network, in hopes of surmounting its budget problems and offsetting rising labor costs, had increased last year what hotels paid annually by 5%, but did not want to go higher.
    Victoria Le, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Moderate exercise helps, but high-intensity overtraining can raise cortisol further, worth knowing if punishing workouts are already part of a stressed routine.
    Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
  • On Wednesday morning, that tally stood at a hefty seven hundred and thirty-four, with cases ranging from the President’s immigration policies to his dismantling of disfavored agencies to his effort to punish law firms to his ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • There was no true striker for England.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The Full Moon highlights your 4th House of Traditions, nudging you to think about what makes your residence a true home base.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Jeremiah is a friendly, affectionate and respectful teen who is known for his polite manners and eagerness to help others.
    The Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Present and correct, just in smaller quantities than previously, and now obliged to make polite conversation with Alexandra Champalimaud’s additions.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Correct.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/correct. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

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