Correctitude

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being accurate or free from errors
2. The state of conforming exactly to facts or truth
3. The condition of demonstrating precision and exactness

Etymology: "Correctitude" is a plain formation: the adjective "correct" with the suffix "-itude" attached. The suffix comes from Latin "-itudo", which English borrowed in words such as "altitude" and "fortitude", where it forms nouns expressing a state or quality. Adding it to "correct" produces a noun for the condition of being correct, which is the sense the word carries here: exactness and precision in conduct or detail. The formation is a little unusual because "correct" is already an adjective and the suffix is more often seen on adjectives such as "apt" and "magnitude"-type stems. The result is a word that sounds weightier than "correctness", a choice that tends to suit formal or slightly self-conscious writing.

Synonyms: correctness, accuracy, precision

Antonyms: incorrectness, inaccuracy, mistake