to rectify
- 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
But 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
To make something right by fixing a mistake
To make small changes to a document, for example a law or statement, to correct mistakes
To try to make a damaged relationship or reputation better
To fix a problem or bad situation
To put something back into an upright position
To correct a wrong by giving money or taking action
To make a bad situation better
To fix a mistake or problem and return things to normal
To fix something that is wrong or not working well
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'.