correctness

Everyday

1. Correctness is the quality of being right or true, with no mistakes. tree →
2. Correctness is also behaving in the proper, polite and accepted way. tree →
3. «Political correctness» is the idea of avoiding words and actions that might be unfair or hurtful to groups of people; some people praise it and others mock it. tree →

In the lessons

In maths and spelling, the teacher checks the correctness of your answers. In computing, correctness means a program does exactly what it should. In stories, correctness of manners describes a very proper, careful character. Common phrases: «check the correctness», «the correctness of the answer», «political correctness», «grammatical correctness».

Examples

• The teacher checked the correctness of each sum. tree →
• Please check the correctness of your spelling before you hand it in. tree →
• The computer tested the correctness of the program. tree →
• Grandad always dressed with great correctness. tree →
• We argued about the correctness of the answer to question five. tree →
• The judge doubted the correctness of the witness's story. tree →
• Some people say political correctness has gone too far, and others say it is just being kind. tree →

Note

Uncountable: no plural. Built from «correct» + «-ness». Do not confuse correctness (being right) with accuracy (being exactly close to the true value) — in science a measurement can be precise but not accurate. In maths, correctness means the answer is right, not just that the method looks neat.