correctness

[kuh-rekt-nis]

noun

1. conformity to fact or truth; freedom from error; accuracy.

   The correctness of the eyewitness’s account was later called into question.

2. the quality of being proper; conformity to an acknowledged or accepted standard.

   We are concerned with the correctness of our probationers' conduct.

3. the quality of being just or right in a judgment or opinion.

   We accepted the correctness of the tribunal’s ruling.

4. an indication of or adherence to a liberal or progressive ideology on matters of ethnicity, religion, sexuality, ecology, etc..

   A car strewn with Styrofoam cups is hardly a testimony to environmental correctness.

Word History and Origins

Origin of correctness¹

First recorded in 1670–90; correct ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Related Words

• civility 
• decency 
• decorum 
• fitness 
• rightness