Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - correct

(corrects, correcting, corrected) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If something is correct, it is in accordance with the facts and has no mistakes. (FORMAL) The correct answers can be found at the bottom of page 8... The following information was correct at time of going to press... = right ? incorrect ADJ • correctly Did I pronounce your name correctly?... ADV: ADV with v • correctness Ask the investor to check the correctness of what he has written. = accuracy N-UNCOUNT 2. If someone is correct, what they have said or thought is true. (FORMAL) You are absolutely correct. The leaves are from a bay tree... If Casey is correct, the total cost of the cleanup would come to $110 billion. = right ? wrong ADJ: v-link ADJ 3. The correct thing or method is the thing or method that is required or is most suitable in a particular situation. The use of the correct materials was crucial... ...the correct way to produce a crop of tomato plants. = right ADJ: ADJ n • correctly If correctly executed, this shot will give them a better chance of getting the ball close to the hole. = properly ADV: ADV with v 4. If you say that someone is correct in doing something, you approve of their action. You are perfectly correct in trying to steer your mother towards increased independence... I think the president was correct to reject the offer. = right ADJ: usu ADJ in -ing/n • correctly When an accident happens, quite correctly questions are asked. ADV: ADV with cl 5. If you correct a problem, mistake, or fault, you do something which puts it right. He has criticised the government for inefficiency and delays in correcting past mistakes. = rectify VERB: V n • correction (corrections) ...legislation to require the correction of factual errors... We will then make the necessary corrections. N-VAR 6. If you correct someone, you say something which you think is more accurate or appropriate than what they have just said. ‘Actually, that isn’t what happened,’ George corrects me... I must correct him on a minor point. VERB: V n with quote, V n 7. When someone corrects a piece of writing, they look at it and mark the mistakes in it. It took an extraordinary effort to focus on preparing his classes or correcting his students’ work. VERB: V n 8. If a person or their behaviour is correct, their behaviour is in accordance with social or other rules. I think English men are very polite and very correct... = proper ADJ • correctly The High Court of Parliament began very correctly with a prayer for the Queen. ADV: ADV with v • correctness ...his stiff-legged gait and formal correctness. N-UNCOUNT