overcorrection

[ oh-ver-kuh-rek-shuhn ]

noun

1. correction beyond what is needed or customary, especially when leading to error; overadjustment:

   The pilot made an overcorrection for headwinds.

Word History and Origins

Origin of overcorrection¹

First recorded in 1880–85; over- + correction

Example Sentences

This demonstrates a common problem with being too careful in remaking an old movie for modern audiences: overcorrection by omission.

From Salon

Labour has gone into overdrive trying to shred the credibility of the number, with the whiff of overcorrection after Keir Starmer’s failure to take it on as robustly as some opposition figures wish he had last night.

From BBC

The most progressive of Gascón’s top challengers — with a war chest second only to Hochman’s — the former federal prosecutor is hoping to scoop up Angelenos unhappy with the incumbent but squeamish about an overcorrection that would erase reforms they demanded four years ago.

From Los Angeles Times

“I hope that there’s not an overcorrection on the side of a maker, then, who … makes a lot of investments in their infrastructure or livestock or all different kinds of things, and then the next year that trend’s over.”

From Salon

“But to do an overcorrection is also not helpful in that way.”

From Los Angeles Times