different between punctilious vs correct

English

Etymology

From punctilio (“fine point in exactness of conduct”) +? -ous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p??k?t?li.?s/

Adjective

punctilious (comparative more punctilious, superlative most punctilious)

1. Strictly attentive to detail; meticulous or fastidious, particularly to codes or conventions.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:meticulous

2. Precise or scrupulous; finicky or nitpicky.

   Synonyms: finicky, nitpicky, precise; see also Thesaurus:meticulous

   • 2009, Ronnie Cann, Ruth Kempson and Eleni Gregoromichelaki, Semantics: an introduction to meaning in language

Derived terms

• punctiliously
• punctiliousness

Related terms

• point
• punctuate
• punctual
• punctuality
• punctuation

Translations

Further reading

• punctilious in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

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)

1. Free from error; true; accurate.

2. 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

1. (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)

1. (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.

2. (by extension, transitive) To grade (examination papers).

3. (transitive) To inform (someone) of their error.

4. (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)

1. 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)

1. correct, right

2. (colloquial) passable, okay

3. (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).