rectify
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
-
are rectifyingprogressive
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is rectifyingprogressive
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have been rectifyingperfect progressive
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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:
Sanofi offered to rectify the potential effects of past messages on a rival flu shot made by CSL and refrain from casting doubt on its performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Koror's state government has asked for a bigger fund to rectify any potential damage and independent environmental monitoring, according to filings seen by AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
Ireland's deputy premier Simon Harris said it was "clearly an inappropriate use of language" and that O'Leary "should have moved to rectify it".
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Phair felt she was atomized from the female coalitions of the ’90s, and that this co-bill might be a way to rectify that.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Winston’s job was to rectify the original figures by making them agree with the later ones.
From "1984" by George Orwell
In “Shadow Before the Flame,” Ms. Katz rectifies that lapse with an account of the airship’s final trans-Atlantic flight and its fiery end at Lakehurst, N.J., on May 6, 1937.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 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
The bill also rectifies conflicting circuit court decisions by clarifying that an attempt or conspiracy to commit an offense involving physical force meets the legal definition of a crime of violence.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 27, 2022
And Bennet's departure provides a rare and much-needed opportunity to rethink the role of opinion within news organizations everywhere, in a way that rectifies them.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2020
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
“There’s reason to be immediately suspicious of the idea that a problem like that could be rectified in one day.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 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
"This happened eight years ago, it was not meant to cause any offence but it did cause offence, and I rectified that offence. All the people involved were satisfied with that."
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026
Our long national nightmare is over: Paramount+ has gone more than a month without a Taylor Sheridan show, but that situation will be rectified in March with not one, but two, new Sheridan-produced shows.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 27, 2026
Reports and records of all kinds, newspapers, books, pamphlets, films, sound tracks, photographs—all had to be rectified at lightning speed.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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
The pact with China is about rectifying a tariff dispute regarding Canadian agricultural and food products, and China-made electric vehicles, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
These efforts would not only help to move toward rectifying historical inaccuracies, but also ensure that AI/AN communities receive equitable health resources and policy attention.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2025
The first two years covers the builder warranty period, in which the builder is responsible for rectifying problems arising from their failure to meet requirements.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2024
There are mutual advantages to be gained in dealing with first-class people, for, if a mistake is made on one side or the other, there is usually no difficulty in rectifying it afterwards.
From Book Collecting: A Guide for Amateurs by J. Herbert (John Herbert) Slater
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