rectify
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
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.
Clemens' talented, ambitious PR flak is a strong coffee jolt to the three other people out there who watched "Rectify" and remember her as gentle Tawney.
From Salon • Feb. 6, 2020
Vanity Fair goes even further, awarding BoJack Horseman the No. 1 slot on its list, above such prestigious live-action fare as Fleabag, Atlanta, and Rectify.
From Slate • Dec. 10, 2019
Rectify this now by getting professional guidance to understand the dynamic, learn to say “no” and hold firm through a scene.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 3, 2017
Crawford, who is superb on Sundance TV’s Rectify, finds the pathos in Riggs but, dare I say it, the character is annoying.
From The Guardian • Sep. 21, 2016
Maybe the snow got to Abigail Spencer, actress from the series "Rectify," who pulled her sweater over her face.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2016
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.
