rectify (v.)

c. 1400, rectifien, "to cure, heal, remedy" (a bad or faulty condition); early 15c. "set (someone) straight in conduct or behavior;" late 15c., "correct an error, set (something) straight or right;" from Old French rectifier, literally "to make straight" (14c.), from Late Latin rectificare "make right, make straight," from Latin rectus "straight" (from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line," with derivatives meaning "to direct in a straight line") + combining form of facere "to make" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Sense of "remove impurities from a distillate" is from mid-15c. Related: Rectified; rectifying.

also from c. 1400

Entries linking to rectify

rectification (n.)

c. 1400, rectificacioun, "a remedying, healing, improvement;" late 15c., "action of setting someone right in conduct or action, the correction of that which is wrong or erroneous;" from Old French rectificacion (14c.) or directly from Late Latin rectificationem (nominative rectificatio), noun of action from past participle stem of rectificare "make right; make straight" (see rectify).

rectifier (n.)

"one who or that which rectifies" in any sense, 1610s, agent noun from rectify.

*dhe-

*reg-

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Trends of rectify

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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correct

mid-14c., "to set (someone) right by punishing for a fault or error, to discipline;" late 14c., of texts, "to bring into accordance with a standard or original," from Latin correctus, past participle of corrigere "to put straight, attempt to make (a crooked thing) straight, reduc

right

[correct, morally correct, direct] Old English riht, of actions, "just, good, fair, in conformity with moral law; proper, fitting, according to standard; rightful, legitimate, lawful; correct in belief, orthodox;" of persons or their characters, "disposed to do what is good or ju

remedy

c. 1200, remedie, "means of counteracting sin or evil of any kind; cure for a vice or temptation;" late 14c., "a cure for a disease or disorder, medicine or process which restores health;" from Anglo-French remedie, Old French remede "remedy, cure" (12c., Modern French remède) an

amend

early 13c., amenden, "to free from faults, rectify," from Old French amender "correct, set right, make better, improve" (...

purify

mid-14c., purifien, "to free from spiritual pollution," from Old French purefier "purify, cleanse, refine" (12c.), from Latin purificare "to make pure," from purus "pure" (see pure) + combining form of facere "to make" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Meaning "free from extra

commute

mid-15c., "to change (something into something else), transform," from Latin commutare "to often change, to change altogether," from com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + mutare "to change" (from PIE root *mei- (1) "to change, go, move"). Sense of "make less severe

change

c. 1200, "to alter, make different, change" (transitive); early 13c. as "to substitute one for another;" mid-13c. as "to make (something) other than what it was, cause to turn or pass from one state to another;" from late 13c. as "to become different, be altered" (intransitive),

find

Old English findan "come upon, meet with; discover; obtain by search or study" (class III strong verb; past tense fand, past participle funden), from Proto-Germanic *findan "to come upon, discover" (source also of Old Saxon findan, Old Frisian finda, Old Norse finna, Middle Dutch

modify

late 14c., modifien, "alter, amend, adjust, change the properties, form, or function of;" also "set limits, keep within the bounds of reason; choose a middle course," from Old French modifier (14c.), from Latin modificare "to limit, measure off, restrain," from modus "measure, ma

refine

"to bring or reduce to a pure state or a condition of purity as full as possible," 1580s of metals; c. 1590 of manners ("purify from what is coarse, low, vulgar, inelegant, etc.;" from re-, here perhaps an intensive prefix, + obsolete fine (v.) "make fine," from fine (adj.) "deli

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updated on May 29, 2021

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