to rectify
47
6.0
- verb
- /ˈrɛktɪˌfaɪ/
- I don't, I don't see any steps to actually rectify the situation or to, to, to keep retention.
- rectify the situation
- rectify problems
- rectify errors
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Watch on YouTubeBut how do you rectify that with human error?
- But how do you rectify that with human error?
- So if you mishandle the moment of trying to rectify it, you'll only dig a deeper hole.
- So I mean, I didn't, I don't, I don't see any attempts to, to rectify the distrust.
- I thought maybe this will just rectify itself in a few days and it and it didn't.
- So there's some forms of behaviour that need to be rectified through awareness, through presence.
- So there's some forms of behavior that need to be rectified through awareness, through presence.
- And there was a mistake to the first version, which was rectified in his in his paper with Taylor.
- But I think it's a natural consequence of what's going to happen that I want to rectify your statement a little bit.
- All right, I'm sorry to laugh, but you leave them like if you have made an honest attempt at rectifying the situation or trying to address the issue.
- I, I do believe that we have seen ugly episodes of history before that have been rectified.
- And we did stop it and we did, we did try and rectify the, the, the, the effects and we're still doing that.
- I don't, I don't see any steps to actually rectify the situation or to, to, to keep retention.
Examples
-
We'll be back after we decide what we're going to do to rectify this disaster.
-
But I'm going to rectify things before it's too late.
-
If the problem was caused by you, take steps to rectify the situation.
Academic text (1996) -
Given this information, what can be done to rectify the situation?
Academic text (2012) -
All I can do is rectify matters now and hope for the best.
Fiction book (1991) -
I don't know what I can possibly say to rectify the harm I have caused you.
Fiction book (1999) -
That can go a long way in rectifying the bias.
-
EPD attempts to work with industries to identify and rectify emission violations.
Academic text (1990) -
Well, luckily a hasty modification can rectify that problem.
-
She worked hard to rectify the mistakes in her report before submitting it.
Synonyms
542
1.0
To make something right by fixing a mistake
115
3.9
To make small changes to a document, for example a law or statement, to correct mistakes
115
4.4
To put something back into an upright position
52
3.6
To fix a mistake or problem and return things to normal
51
3.9
To fix a problem or bad situation
32
2.1
To try to make a damaged relationship or reputation better
14
7.7
To correct a wrong by giving money or taking action
11
8.1
To make a bad situation better
4
6.9
To fix something that is wrong or not working well
1
8.9
Make something like it was before or better
Antonyms
How Correct
Surface Forms
Morphology
rectify = rect + ify
The suffix '-ify' clearly means 'make/cause to be', but the root 'rect' is a Latin combining form (not a common standalone English word), so the 'make right' sense is derivable in principle but not fully transparent to an average B1 learner.
Etymology
Rectify comes from the Latin root rect- (from rectus) meaning 'straight' or 'right'. So to rectify a mistake is to 'make it right' or 'straighten' the situation, which is why it means 'to correct'.