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
- incorrectly adverb
- incorrectness noun
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.
An AST SpaceMobile satellite being carried by a Blue Origin rocket was put into an incorrect position on Sunday and it will now have to be taken out of orbit.
From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026
“There is no doubt that the underlying data is incorrect on an absolute basis. I’m sure it has not helped their valuations,” Greenfield said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
She did not admit to using AI but claimed that the incorrect citations were a result of her handwritten notes from another matter.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
But, as a philosopher who studies the cognitive and emotional aspects of citizenship, I think this is incorrect.
From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026
It wasn’t just that it was wrong to do, or that it was considered incorrect.
From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen
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.
