/ kəˈrekt; NAmE / adjective , verb
■ adjective
1.
accurate or true, without any mistakes
SYN right :
Do you have the correct time?
the correct answer
Please check that these details are correct.
'Are you in charge here?' 'That's correct.'
Am I correct in saying that you know a lot about wine?
OPP incorrect ➡ note at true
2.
right and suitable, so that sth is done as it should be done :
Do you know the correct way to shut the machine down?
I think you've made the correct decision.
➡ note at right
3.
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.
OPP incorrect
—see also politically correct
► cor·rect·ly adverb :
Have you spelled it correctly?
They reasoned, correctly, that she was away for the weekend.
He was looking correctly grave.
► cor·rect·ness noun [ U ]:
The correctness of this decision may be doubted.
—see also political correctness
•
IDIOMS
see present adjective
■ verb
1.
[ vn ] to make sth right or accurate, for example by changing it or removing mistakes :
Read through your work and correct any mistakes that you find.
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.
2.
[ vn ] ( of a teacher ) to mark the mistakes in a piece of work (and sometimes give a mark / grade to the work) :
I spent all evening correcting essays.
3.
to tell sb that they have made a mistake :
[ vn ]
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) .
[ vn speech ]
'It's Yates, not Wates,' she corrected him.
[also v speech ]
••
WORD 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 .