incorrect

adjective

in·​cor·​rect ˌin-kə-ˈrekt 

1

a

: not true : wrong

incorrect answers

b

: inaccurate, faulty

an incorrect transcription

incorrect grammar/spelling/usage

2

: unbecoming, improper

incorrect behavior

3

obsolete : not corrected or chastened

incorrectly

ˌin-kə-ˈrek(t)-lē 

adverb

incorrectness

ˌin-kə-ˈrek(t)-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of incorrect

• wrong
• mistaken
• erroneous

Examples of incorrect in a Sentence

The doctor's diagnosis was incorrect.

The story in the newspaper is incorrect.

The restaurant considers jeans and T-shirts incorrect attire for dinner.

Recent Examples on the Web

The sports media rarely treats athletes who espouse liberal or progressive political views as problematic, even when those views are provocative, divisive, or factually incorrect. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Your incorrect claim that Jews were not a majority in Israel at the country’s inception is probably the result of confusion over the fact that Arabs were a majority in Palestine. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

Additionally, the trial judge gave incorrect jury instructions about kidnapping during the 2023 trial, the panel concluded. — Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Kagan’s discovery ultimately allowed for the generation of safer and more effective single-handed molecules by the pharmaceutical industry; previously, drugs with the incorrect mirror image were either very toxic or simply inactive. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin incorrectus, from in- + correctus correct

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing incorrect

• politically incorrect

Rhymes for incorrect

• architect
• circumspect
• deselect
• dialect
• disconnect
• disinfect
• disrespect
• indirect
• intellect
• interject
• intersect
• pluperfect

Kids Definition

incorrect

adjective

in·​cor·​rect ˌin-kə-ˈrekt 

: not correct: as

a

: inaccurate, faulty

an incorrect copy

b

: not true : wrong

an incorrect answer

c

: not proper

incorrect behavior

incorrectly

-ˈrek-(t)lē 

adverb

incorrectness

-ˈrek(t)-nəs 

noun