rectify
REK-tih-fy
/ˈrɛktɪfaɪ/
To put right; to correct a mistake or a problem.
Rectify implies a formal or systematic correction, often of a significant error.
The story behind the word. The word literally means 'to make straight'. It comes from the same root as 'rectangle' and 'direct'. If a process has gone 'crooked' or 'wrong', you 'rectify' it to bring it back to the straight and narrow path of quality.
Word relationships
- remedy: To remedy is to provide a cure or solution; to rectify is to specifically make something 'straight' or 'right' again.
- worsen: To worsen is to make a situation or error more severe.
Commonly confused with
- amend: To amend is to change something (like a document) to improve it; to rectify is to fix something that is wrong.
Word family
- rectification (noun): The action of putting something right; correction.
- rectifiable (adjective): Capable of being corrected.
Collocations
- rectify the situation
- rectify an error
- rectify a problem
Idioms & expressions
- rectify the record
Example sentences
- "We are working closely with the supplier to rectify the shipping errors." Business
- "The court ordered the company to rectify the environmental damage caused by the spill." Law
Memory hook
Rectify is to 'Rect-ify'—to make it 'Right' like a 'Rectangle's' corners. To make it right and straight.
When not to use
Don't use 'rectify' for small, casual mistakes like a typo in a text message; 'correct' or 'fix' is better.
Fun facts
- In electronics, a 'rectifier' is a device that converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC).
- The term is often used in chemistry to describe the purification of a liquid by distillation.
Related words
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