correctness

[ kuh-rekt-nis ]

noun

1. conformity to fact or truth; freedom from error; accuracy:

   The correctness of the eyewitness’s account was later called into question.

2. the quality of being proper; conformity to an acknowledged or accepted standard:

   We are concerned with the correctness of our probationers' conduct.

3. the quality of being just or right in a judgment or opinion:

   We accepted the correctness of the tribunal’s ruling.

4. an indication of or adherence to a liberal or progressive ideology on matters of ethnicity, religion, sexuality, ecology, etc.:

   A car strewn with Styrofoam cups is hardly a testimony to environmental correctness.

Word History and Origins

Origin of correctness¹

First recorded in 1670–90; correct ( def ) + -ness ( def )

Related Words

• civility
• decency
• decorum
• fitness
• rightness