correctness
Americannoun
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conformity to fact or truth; freedom from error; accuracy.
The correctness of the eyewitness’s account was later called into question.
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the quality of being proper; conformity to an acknowledged or accepted standard.
We are concerned with the correctness of our probationers' conduct.
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the quality of being just or right in a judgment or opinion.
We accepted the correctness of the tribunal’s ruling.
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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.
Etymology
Origin of correctness
First recorded in 1670–90; correct ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )
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.
My father, a World War II officer and stickler for correctness, was especially proud of my medal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
In the early 1990s, the two men wrote for a campus publication, attacking what they saw as political correctness destroying American higher education.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
She said actions to address harassment and violence against women, and other groups facing discrimination were increasingly perceived as political correctness.
From BBC ● May 2, 2025
The tunes are all exuberant, and even with a new era of political correctness, never offensive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2025
I’m sure that absolute correctness must seem a dull existence to you, but I know no other way to be.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
