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
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.
“Information circulating that the student’s death was heat-related is incorrect, and there are no indications of any suspicious activity related to the student’s passing.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
She called this a “display error,” where the agent sent incorrect characters in outgoing messages in “some limited scenarios.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
On 9 July, after the crash, another train approaching the same signal received an incorrect AWS warning despite it displaying green.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Common arm positions used during screenings may make blood pressure appear higher than it actually is, potentially contributing to an incorrect diagnosis of hypertension.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
It’s so awful that many publications even cheat to avoid it, and write “The Raven’s”— definitely incorrect, although much prettier.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
