Correctness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being accurate, true, or free from errors in information or behavior
2. A state or condition in which something conforms to truth, facts, or accepted standards
3. The characteristic of correctness refers to the absence of mistakes or inaccuracies

Etymology: "Correctness" is a plain English compound: the adjective "correct" with the suffix "-ness", which turns an adjective into a noun for a state or quality. The suffix itself has deep roots. It descends from a Proto-Germanic form built on *-assuz, which in turn traces back through Proto-Indo-European, and it appears in Old English as "-nes" and in Middle English as "-nesse" before settling into its modern spelling. The adjective "correct" arrived in English from Latin "correctus", the past participle of "corrigere", meaning "to set right". So the word is, at heart, a state of having been set right. Adding "-ness" to "correct" gives the abstract idea: the quality of being in line with what is true or proper. Because the suffix attaches freely to adjectives, English speakers could form this noun without needing a separate borrowing, which is why the word feels so native even though its adjective came from Latin.

Synonyms: accuracy, rightness, validity

Antonyms: incorrectness, wrongness