rectify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
rectifies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
rectified,
past participle, past
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rectifying
present participle
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to make, put, or set right; remedy; correct.
He sent them a check to rectify his account.
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to put right by adjustment or calculation, as an instrument or a course at sea.
- Synonyms:
- straighten, regulate, adjust
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Chemistry. to purify (especially a spirit or liquor) by repeated distillation.
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Electricity. to change (an alternating current) into a direct current.
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to determine the length of (a curve).
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Astronomy, Geography. to adjust (a globe) for the solution of any proposed problem.
verb
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to put right; correct; remedy
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to separate (a substance) from a mixture or refine (a substance) by fractional distillation
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to convert (alternating current) into direct current
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maths to determine the length of (a curve)
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to cause (an object) to assume a linear motion or characteristic
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rectifysimple
-
rectifiessimple
-
have rectifiedperfect
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has rectifiedperfect
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am rectifyingprogressive
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are rectifyingprogressive
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is rectifyingprogressive
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have been rectifyingperfect progressive
-
has been rectifyingperfect progressive
Past
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rectifiedsimple
-
had rectifiedperfect
-
was rectifyingprogressive
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were rectifyingprogressive
-
had been rectifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rectify
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English rectifien, from Middle French rectifier, from Medieval Latin rēctificāre, from Latin rēct(us) “right, straight” + -ificāre -ify; see also right
Explanation
When you rectify something, you fix it or make it right. Some English teachers will give you a chance to rectify any mistakes you've made in an essay and hand in a second, edited draft. This verb often turns up in sentences like "The truce should help to rectify this situation between the two countries," or "I'd like to rectify the misspellings in this article before I print it." To rectify is to correct or improve something — you can imagine straightening out something that's bent to make it work better. The Old French rectifier, in fact, means "to make straight," from the Latin root rectus, "straight."
Vocabulary lists containing rectify
Grade 9, List 1
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Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
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Hatchet
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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.
See Examples For:
“The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy” at the San Francisco Legion of Honor museum aims to rectify that.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
“There are legitimate water quality threats that we need to attack and rectify in a regulatory manner. And then there are things that are out in the left field that just distract people,” Donley said.
From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026
Incomes have fallen behind inflation recently, but lower oil prices should soon rectify the problem.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
And the judge concluded that no steps had been taken to "rectify matters and avoid future repetition".
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
This last bit was something I thought I could rectify.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
This new project, located in the Badlands as a nod to Roosevelt’s embrace of the American landscape and environmental stewardship, rectifies the situation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026
“As as of today, he has flown back to Chicago, I think, just until the situation rectifies itself.”
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 25, 2023
Her casting and Williams' also rectifies the overwhelming whiteness of the original cast by adding two dynamic figures providing other missions to chase than past glory.
From Salon ● Feb. 23, 2023
This month, Flatiron Books rectifies that with a paperback re-release.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 28, 2022
Wilkerson not only rectifies the world’s ignorance about the Great Migration, but with twelve hundred interviews and crystalline prose she makes us understand it in its full human reality.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
In a press release issued after that investigation, Shein said that those working hours were “higher than local regulations permit” and that it was reducing orders from both factories until the issues were rectified.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
The only thing Lenny Kaye somehow hadn’t done was release a solo record, which he rectified in July of 2026 with the release of “Goin’ Local,” out on Yep Roc on July 17.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
That situation will be rectified in a matter of weeks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
This is often an issue with how the device is calibrated, and easily rectified, responds Bakiş.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
“No matter, my young friend. The problem will soon be rectified, for I intend to finish right now!”
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
“On the one hand, I like the premium glass, iconic bottle that we have. On the other hand, we’ve cheapened it by adding a plastic cap to it. We will be rectifying that.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Marco Odermatt is the self-proclaimed leader of the Swiss men's team, but Olympic gold in Bormio has so far eluded the all-rounder, who has set his sights on rectifying that in Saturday's giant slalom.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
Nevertheless, the sheer number of muscular injuries the club have suffered this season indicates an issue that requires rectifying.
From BBC ● May 21, 2025
Should this be cause for cynicism for people who care about, like, rectifying the injustices that the stains of slavery and racism have left on American society?
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2024
You will gain more by rectifying this error.
From Marjorie Dean College Freshman by Pauline Lester
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.
