course correction
- noun
- /kɔrs kəˈrɛkʃən/
- After analyzing the feedback, she decided a course correction was needed to meet the team's goals.
And, you know, so I think people see it, that they see that there needs to be a course correction.
- And, you know, so I think people see it, that they see that there needs to be a course correction.
Examples
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Traffic was heavy this morning, and several times they had to make course corrections to avoid lumbering freight zeppelins and sleek hypersonic jetliners.
Fiction book (1999) -
Fiscal policy was on an unsustainable course, and now it looks like a course correction is imminent.
Blog text (19) -
The question of the hour is: when will America make a course correction?
Blog text (33) -
I hope they make a course correction before it's too late.
Blog text (18) -
Now, listen, how much time do you estimate before a course correction is needed?
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So these new standards represent a reasonable course correction.
Academic text (2013) -
I really hope we have a course correction coming, but I'm starting to doubt it.
Blog text (20) -
They're gonna have to make a course correction or hit the mountains.
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The astronauts fully expected they would need to perform another course correction to make certain they entered the correct orbit around the moon...
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If objectives are not being achieved, it's important to reevaluate and make necessary course corrections.
Academic text (2016)
Synonyms
A small change that makes something fit or work better
A change to plans or strategy to make them work better
How Dramatic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'course' (route or direction, extended to a plan or strategy) with 'correction' (making something right), so it literally denotes adjusting one’s course or plan. This spatial→planning metaphor is common cross-linguistically and follows normal compositional patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words should readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Course correction comes from steering: imagine a driver who sees they are drifting and turns the wheel a little to put the course back on track as a small correction. So a course correction means a small 'adjustment' to a plan to get better results.