Incorrectness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state of being inaccurate, wrong, or not conforming to facts, standards, or proper procedures
2. The condition of not being accurate, proper, or true entails deviating from facts or accepted norms
3. A state characterized by being erroneous or faulty, lacking conformity to truth or established guidelines

Etymology: "Incorrectness" is a plain English compound: the adjective "incorrect" with the suffix "-ness" attached. "Incorrect" itself is built from the prefix "in-", meaning "not," and "correct," which came into English from Latin "corrigere," meaning "to set right" or "to make straight," with the "-ness" ending marking the state or quality of the adjective. The suffix does the real work here. "-ness" descends from Old English "-nes," a noun-forming ending that turns an adjective into the name of the quality it describes, so "good" gives "goodness" and "sad" gives "sadness." It has been attached to English adjectives for over a thousand years, and it remains productive, which is why new formations like "incorrectness" can be coined on the spot whenever a speaker needs a noun for the state of being wrong.

Synonyms: error, mistake, inaccuracy, fault, flaw

Antonyms: correctness, accuracy, truth, validity, precision