different between correct vs better
correct
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /k????kt/
- Rhymes: -?kt
- Hyphenation: cor?rect
Etymology 1
Borrowed from French correct, from Latin correctus (“improved, amended, correct”), past participle of corrigere, conrigere (“to make straight, make right, make better, improve, correct”), from com- (“together”) + regere (“to make straight, rule”).
Adjective
correct (comparative more correct, superlative most correct)
- Free from error; true; accurate.
- With good manners; well behaved; conforming with accepted standards of behaviour.
Synonyms
- (free from error): right
- (with good manners): well-mannered, well behaved
Antonyms
- (without error): incorrect, inaccurate
- (with good manners): uncouth
Derived terms
Translations
Interjection
correct
- (India) Used to indicate acknowledgement or acceptance.
- Synonym: OK
Etymology 2
From Middle English correcten, borrowed from Anglo-Norman correcter, from Latin correctus.
Verb
correct (third-person singular simple present corrects, present participle correcting, simple past and past participle corrected)
- (transitive) To make something that was wrong become right; to remove error from.
- 2012, Christoper Zara, Tortured Artists: From Picasso and Monroe to Warhol and Winehouse, the Twisted Secrets of the World's Most Creative Minds, part 1, chapter 1, 27:
- Her millions of adoring fans had yet to hear her speak, and when she finally did, she sounded more like a sailor than a starlet, spewing a profanity-laced, G-dropping Brooklynese that no amount of dialect coaching could correct.
- 2012, Christoper Zara, Tortured Artists: From Picasso and Monroe to Warhol and Winehouse, the Twisted Secrets of the World's Most Creative Minds, part 1, chapter 1, 27:
- (by extension, transitive) To grade (examination papers).
- (transitive) To inform (someone) of their error.
- (transitive) To discipline; to punish.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:repair
Derived terms
Translations
Further reading
- correct in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- correct in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- correct at OneLook Dictionary Search
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French correct, from Latin corr?ctus.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /k??r?kt/
- Hyphenation: cor?rect
- Rhymes: -?kt
Adjective
correct (comparative correcter, superlative correctst)
- correct
Inflection
Synonyms
- juist
Derived terms
- correctheid
- incorrect
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin correctus.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /k?.??kt/
- (Quebec, informal) IPA(key): /k?.??k/
Adjective
correct (feminine singular correcte, masculine plural corrects, feminine plural correctes)
- correct, right
- (colloquial) passable, okay
- (Quebec, colloquial) OK, fine, alright
Derived terms
- politiquement correct
Related terms
- correctement
- correctif
- correction
- corriger
- incorrect
- incorrectement
Further reading
- “correct” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
correct From the web:
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better
English
Pronunciation
- (non-rhotic accents) IPA(key): /?b?t?/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): [?b?t??]
- (General Australian, General New Zealand) IPA(key): [?be??]
- (UK dialects) IPA(key): [?be??]
- (rhotic accents) IPA(key): /?b?t??/
- (General American, Canada) IPA(key): [?b???]
- (Ireland) IPA(key): [?b?t??~?b????~?b?t??]
- (Scotland) IPA(key): [?b???~?b????]
- (US)
- Rhymes: -?t?(?)
- Hyphenation: bet?ter
Etymology 1
From Middle English better, bettre, betre, from Old English betera (“better”), from Proto-Germanic *batizô (“better”), from Proto-Indo-European *b?ed-rós, from *b?ed- (“good”). Cognate with Sanskrit ???? (bhadrá, “blessed, fortunate, happy, good”). For Germanic cognates: see Proto-Germanic *batizô. Related to best and battle (“getting better, improving, fruitful, fertile”). Compare also Icelandic batna (“to improve”), bót (“improvement”), German besser. More at batten, boot.
Adjective
better (positive good, adverb well, comparative (humorous) betterer, superlative (humorous) betterest, or (standard) best)
- comparative form of good: more good
- comparative form of well: more well
- Greater in amount or quantity
- 1972, Harvey Andrews, Hey Sandy
- “The air was still with the lonely thrill of 'now the hour is near'
And the smell of sweat was better yet than the awful stench of fear.”
- “The air was still with the lonely thrill of 'now the hour is near'
- 1972, Harvey Andrews, Hey Sandy
Derived terms
Translations
Adverb
better
- comparative form of well: more well
- The engine runs better now that I've given it some oil.
- c. 1603, William Shakespeare, Othello, Act I scene iii[1]:
- I could never better stead thee than now. […]
- 1901, Louis Couperus, Alexander Teixeira de Mattos (translator), Small Souls,
- “I’ve had enough of cycling with you chaps. I can spend my Sundays better than in tormenting cats and quarrelling and fighting.”
- Greater or lesser (whichever is seen as more advantageous), in reference to value, distance, time, etc.
- The top electric vehicles have a range of 300 kilometres or better. (better = greater)
- Only one swimmer finished the race with a time better than two minutes. (better = lesser)
- (Can we clean up(+) this sense?) (colloquial shortening) Had better.
- You better do that if you know what's good for you.
Derived terms
- better the devil you know
- had better
- 'd better
Translations
Noun
better (plural betters)
- An entity, usually animate, deemed superior to another; one who has a claim to precedence; a superior.
- He quickly found Ali his better in the ring.
- 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie
- Their betters would hardly be found.
Derived terms
- get the better of
Etymology 2
Shortening of had better ('d better)
Verb
better
- (modal, auxiliary verb, colloquial) Had better.
- It's getting late. You better get on home.
Usage notes
- Better in this sense has often been considered an adverb. But it is virtually synonymous with should in We better be going. and with ought to in We better go. Should and ought are auxiliary verbs.
See also
- best
Etymology 3
From Middle English beteren, from Old English beterian, betrian, from Proto-Germanic *batiz?n?. Cognate with West Frisian betterje (“to better”), Dutch beteren (“to better”), German bessern (“to better”), Danish bedre (“to better”), Swedish bättra (“to better”).
Verb
better (third-person singular simple present betters, present participle bettering, simple past and past participle bettered)
- (transitive) To improve.
- 1815, William Wordsworth, From the same (To the Supreme Being)
- Love betters what is best.
- He thought to better his circumstances.
- 1815, William Wordsworth, From the same (To the Supreme Being)
- (intransitive) To become better; to improve.
- This government will better this society
- (transitive) To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.
- 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie
- The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be bettered.
- 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie
- (transitive) To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:improve
Derived terms
- betterer
- betterment
Translations
Etymology 4
Alternate pronunciation of bettor or modern formation from the verb to bet.
Noun
better (plural betters)
- Alternative spelling of bettor
References
- better at OneLook Dictionary Search
- better in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
Central Franconian
Alternative forms
- botter, bötter (Eifel)
Etymology
From Old High German bittar
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?bet?/
Adjective
better (masculine bettere, feminine better, comparative betterer, superlative et betterste)
- (most dialects) bitter
- Proverb:
Middle English
Etymology 1
From Old English betere.
Adjective
better
- Alternative form of bettre
Adverb
better
- Alternative form of bettre
Noun
better
- Alternative form of bettre
Etymology 2
From Old English beterian.
Verb
better
- Alternative form of beteren
Scots
Etymology
From Middle English bettre, from Old English betera, from Proto-Germanic *batizô.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [?b?t?r]
Adjective
better
- comparative degree of guid
Derived terms
Adverb
better (comparative mair better, superlative maist better)
- better
- quite recovered from illness
- more than
Noun
better (uncountable)
- that which is better, something better or superior
Verb
better (third-person singular present betters, present participle betterin, past bettert, past participle bettert)
- to better, improve
West Frisian
Adjective
better
- inflection of goed:
- predicative comparative degree
- indefinite neuter singular comparative degree
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