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 )

Example Sentences

Comedy led the backlash against political correctness, which Lindy West astutely defined in a 2015 Guardian column as a fancy term for “not treating people who are already treated like garbage like garbage.”

From Salon

Because he thinks Trump will be better on the border and the economy, and because Trump has taken a wrecking ball to political correctness.

From Los Angeles Times

The French and German press and, to some extent, the Spanish press already participated in the political correctness panic in the 90s and early 2000s.

From Salon

Despite a generally positive correlation between a chatbot's correctness and perceived helpfulness, the researchers also found instances where the LLMs were incorrect, but still useful for the participants.

From Science Daily

It said the IAEA’s request need to be resolved, otherwise the the agency “will not be able to confirm the correctness an completeness of Iran’s declarations” under the deal.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• civility
• decency
• decorum
• fitness
• rightness