Phrase guide

political correctness

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

An avoidance of expressions or actions that can be perceived to exclude, marginalize or insult people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An avoidance of expressions or actions that are disadvantageous or disquieting to institutions or authorities.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The result or product of being politically correct.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

avoidance of expressions or actions that can be perceived to exclude or marginalize or insult people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: political correctitude

Antonyms: political incorrectness

Broader terms: correctness

History

Etymology

From politically correct + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

44 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: siyasi düzgünlük — being politically correct
  • Azerbaijani: politkorrektlik — being politically correct
  • Azerbaijani: siyasi doğruluq — being politically correct
  • Bulgarian: полити́ческа коре́ктност (politíčeska koréktnost) — being politically correct
  • Chinese Cantonese: 政治正確 /政治正确 (zing3 zi6 zing3 kok3) — being politically correct
  • Chinese Mandarin: 政治正確 /政治正确 (zhèngzhì zhèngquè) — being politically correct
  • Czech: politická korektnost — being politically correct
  • Danish: politisk korrekthed — being politically correct
  • Dutch: politieke correctheid — being politically correct
  • Esperanto: politika ĝusteco — being politically correct
  • Finnish: poliittinen korrektius — being politically correct
  • French: rectitude politique — being politically correct
  • Galician: corrección política — being politically correct
  • Georgian: პოლიტკორექტულობა (ṗoliṭḳorekṭuloba) — being politically correct
  • Georgian: პოლიტიკური კორექტულობა (ṗoliṭiḳuri ḳorekṭuloba) — being politically correct
  • German: politische Korrektheit — being politically correct
  • German: Political Correctness — being politically correct
  • German: PC — being politically correct
  • Greek: πολιτική ορθότητα (politikí orthótita) — being politically correct
  • Hungarian: politikai korrektség — being politically correct
  • Icelandic: pólitískur rétttrúnaður — being politically correct
  • Indonesian: pengoreksian politik — being politically correct
  • Irish: ceartaiseacht pholaitiúil — being politically correct
  • Japanese: ポリティカル・コレクトネス (poritikaru-korekutonesu) — being politically correct
  • Japanese: 政治的正しさ (seijiteki tadashisa) — being politically correct
  • Japanese: ポリコレ (porikore) — being politically correct
  • Korean: 정치적(政治的) 올바름 (jeongchijeok olbareum) — being politically correct
  • Latvian: politkorektums — being politically correct
  • Macedonian: политичка исправност (politička ispravnost) — being politically correct
  • Macedonian: политичка коректност (politička korektnost) — being politically correct
  • Malay: pembaikan politik — being politically correct
  • Norwegian Bokmål: politisk korrekthet — being politically correct
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: politisk korrektheit — being politically correct
  • Polish: poprawność polityczna — being politically correct
  • Portuguese: correção política — being politically correct
  • Romanian: corectitudine politică — being politically correct
  • Russian: полити́ческая корре́ктность (politíčeskaja korréktnostʹ) — being politically correct
  • Russian: политкорре́ктность (politkorréktnostʹ) — being politically correct
  • Spanish: corrección política — being politically correct
  • Spanish: correctitud política — being politically correct
  • Swedish: politisk korrekthet — being politically correct
  • Turkish: politik doğruculuk — being politically correct
  • Turkish: siyasi doğruculuk — being politically correct
  • Turkish: siyaseten doğruluk — being politically correct