Corrective

/kəˈrɛktɪv/

adjectiveIntermediate📊CommonQuality
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

Serving or intended to correct or improve something.

/kəˈrɛktɪv/

adjectiveneutralIntermediate
Quality

Intended to correct or improve something.

The company introduced corrective measures to address the declining sales.

💡 Simply: It means something is designed to fix or make something better. Imagine you spill paint and use a special tool to 'corrective' the mistake and fix it.

👶 For kids: Something that fixes a mistake or makes something better.

More Examples

2

The government implemented corrective policies to stabilize the economy.

3

She wore corrective shoes to fix her posture.

4

The teacher gave him corrective feedback on his essay.

How It's Used

Medical

"The doctor prescribed a corrective lens to improve his vision."

Education

"The school implemented a corrective action plan for struggling students."

2

Something that corrects a fault or deficiency.

/kəˈrɛktɪv/

nounneutralIntermediate
Action

Something that corrects or improves something.

The new software update was a significant corrective for the previous bug.

💡 Simply: It's something you do or use to fix a problem. Like when you get glasses, those glasses are a 'corrective' for your vision.

👶 For kids: Something that makes something better when it's wrong.

More Examples

2

The company's corrective plan aimed to address the safety concerns.

3

The doctor suggested corrective exercises for her back pain.

4

The teacher's goal was to implement a corrective in the students' behaviour.

How It's Used

Law

"The court imposed a corrective order to ensure compliance with regulations."

Business

"The company implemented a corrective action plan to address employee performance."

Tip:Think of a 'corrective' order from a judge to set things right.

Idioms & expressions

Corrective Action Plan

A documented process or procedure that outlines the steps to eliminate the causes of nonconformities or other undesirable situations.

"The company developed a corrective action plan after the audit revealed several deficiencies."

From Latin *corrigere* 'to set straight', from *com-* (together) + *regere* 'to direct, guide'.

Used since the late 17th century, with early usages primarily focused on moral or intellectual improvement.

Memory tip

Think of a teacher offering a 'corrective' session to improve grades.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to set straight, to correct"

corrective actioncorrective measurescorrective lenscorrective feedbackcorrective policies

Common misspellings

corectivecorrecktive

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written