remedial
Americanadjective
-
intended to correct or improve one's skill in a specified field.
remedial math.
- Synonyms:
- corrective
adjective
-
affording a remedy; curative
-
denoting or relating to special teaching, teaching methods, or material for backward and slow learners
remedial education
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of remedial
From the Late Latin word remediālis, dating back to 1645–55. See remedy, -al 1
Explanation
When you do poorly in a subject and get sent to a class that focuses on basic concepts and better study habits, you are taking a remedial class. If you know that a remedy is a type of medicine, then you have a clue to the meaning of remedial. Like a remedy, remedial classes are supposed to improve you, specifically in school subjects that you haven't done well in. Lately, the term is most often used to describe courses given to students who are not prepared for regular work. New college students often have to take remedial classes before they can begin actual university-level courses.
Vocabulary lists containing remedial
30 GRE Words Beginning with "Q" "R" and "S"
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"An Early Start on College"
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Lucky Broken Girl
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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.
Remedial work started in 2020 and was only expected to last a few months, but now fed-up residents have been told the scaffolding could remain until 2027.
From BBC • Dec. 5, 2025
Remedial legislation of any kind, however, is not required.
From New York Times • Mar. 4, 2024
The GAO report urges the Army Corps of Engineers to improve management practices for cleaning up contaminated sites under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, or FUSRAP.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 17, 2023
Remedial policies sought by the DOJ include implementing a third-party criminal information-sharing system, adding automated event trackers to sentence calculations, and improving interagency coordination.
From Washington Times • Jan. 26, 2023
The class was Remedial Speech, and I accepted my own presence there if only because of the very trouble I had pronouncing it.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
