erect

[ih-rekt]

adjective

1. upright in position or posture.

   to stand or sit erect.

   Synonyms: vertical, standing

2. raised or directed upward.

   a dog with ears erect.

3. Botany.,  vertical throughout; not spreading or declined.

   an erect stem;

   an erect leaf or ovule.

4. Heraldry.

   1. (of a charge) represented vertically, following the line of a pale.

      a sword erect.

   2. (of an animal or part of an animal) represented upright.

      a boar's head erect.

5. Optics.,  (of an image) having the same position as the object; not inverted.

verb (used with object)

1. to build; construct; raise.

   to erect a house.

   Synonyms: upraise, upend, set up, put up

2. to raise and set in an upright or vertical position.

   to erect a telegraph pole.

3. to set up or establish, as an institution; found.

4. to bring about; cause to come into existence.

   to erect barriers to progress.

5. Geometry.,  to draw or construct (a line or figure) upon a given line, base, or the like.

6. to form or create legally (usually followed byinto ).

   to erect a territory into a state.

7. Optics.,  to change (an inverted image) to the normal position.

8. Machinery.,  to assemble; make ready for use.

verb (used without object)

1. to become erect; stand up or out.

erect

/ ɪˈrɛkt /

adjective

1. upright in posture or position; not bent or leaning

   an erect stance

2. (of an optical image) having the same orientation as the object; not inverted

3. physiol (of the penis, clitoris, or nipples) firm or rigid after swelling with blood, esp as a result of sexual excitement

4. (of plant parts) growing vertically or at right angles to the parts from which they arise

verb

1. to put up; construct; build

2. to raise to an upright position; lift up

   to erect a flagpole

3. to found or form; set up

4. (also intr) physiol to become or cause to become firm or rigid by filling with blood

5. to hold up as an ideal; exalt

6. optics to change (an inverted image) to an upright position

7. to draw or construct (a line, figure, etc) on a given line or figure, esp at right angles to it

Other Word Forms

• erectable adjective
• erectly adverb
• erectness noun
• nonerecting adjective
• preerect verb (used with object)
• reerect verb (used with object)
• semierect adjective
• semierectly adverb
• semierectness noun
• suberect adjective
• suberectly adverb
• suberectness noun
• unerect adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of erect¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin ērēctus “raised up” (past participle of ērigere ), equivalent to ē- e- ¹ + reg- “guide, direct” ( royal ) + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of erect¹

C14: from Latin ērigere to set up, from regere to control, govern

Synonym Study

See upright.

Example Sentences

But beneath enormous tents erected over a former airport at the edge of the rainforest, nations also adopted some decisions on how to battle climate change.

Read more on Barron's

Even the worst of the latter who don’t have it in them to be good parents have the resources to erect protections around their children—therapists, counselors, nannies, trainers of all sorts.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Scott Boland's nickname goes back well before requests for a statue to be erected in his honour in Melbourne gathered pace.

Read more on BBC

Penelope was trying her best to erect a shelter for herself and the children; at the moment she was puzzling over which side of the tarpaulin was the top, and making no progress whatsoever.

Read more on Literature

The walls coming down aren’t structural, but they stand nearly 18-foot-tall and were erected to give the house additional space for its fourth floor preview gallery.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• assemble 
• construct 
• create 
• found 
• hoist 
• initiate 
• mount 
• organize 
• put up 
• raise 
• set up 
• stand