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.
The accidental use of an incorrect donor during an IVF procedure is extremely rare, they told us, and for an error of this magnitude to occur on multiple occasions suggests "negligence" or "deception".
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
It was complete with our signatures and an anatomically incorrect line-drawing of our dog, Mittens, peeing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
Some estimates made by Doge, the body charged with reducing US government spending, that it saved billions of dollars are "incorrect or lack supporting evidence", a watchdog has found.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
But a diplomatic source told AFP the calculation was incorrect.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 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.
