incorrect
Americanadjective
-
not correct as to fact; inaccurate; wrong.
an incorrect statement.
-
improper, unbecoming, or inappropriate.
incorrect behavior; incorrect attire.
- Synonyms:
- unsuitable
-
not correct in form, use, or manner.
an incorrect copy.
- Synonyms:
- faulty
adjective
-
false; wrong
an incorrect calculation
-
not fitting or proper
incorrect behaviour
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of incorrect
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin incorrectus “not corrected”; equivalent to in- 3 + correct
Explanation
Incorrect things are wrong or mistaken. Driving the incorrect direction on the highway can be dangerous. Turn around! Using the incorrect name when you greet someone (or eating your soup with the incorrect spoon at a fancy dinner) can be embarrassing. A doctor giving you the incorrect diagnosis is never good. When something is correct, it's proper, accurate, truthful, or without errors, and you get incorrect by adding the "not" prefix, in-.
Vocabulary lists containing incorrect
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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Lesson 4
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Wrong
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Did poor data on overtime pay before the passage of the tax law lead to incorrect expectations?
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
Taylor is correct that heteropessimism isn’t just for women but incorrect in citing professional misogynists like Andrew Tate and Nick Fuentes as practitioners.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
In January 2023, she was told she would face disciplinary proceedings, with the firm claiming she had been submitting hours worked under an incorrect pay level, among other things.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
The Stamford Bridge club received two of the three incorrect VAR interventions, leading to a disallowed goal for Fulham and a penalty against Crystal Palace.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
I say ridge; the word perhaps gives an incorrect impression of how steep the rise from the shore was.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
