verb · 16 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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈɹɛktəˌfaɪ/
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:R EH1 K T AH0 F AY2
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To heal (an organ or part of the body).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To restore (someone or something) to its proper condition; to straighten out, to set right.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To remedy or fix (an undesirable state of affairs, situation etc.).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
to rectify the crisis
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To purify or refine (a substance) by distillation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
From Middle English rectifien, from Anglo-Norman rectifiier, rectefier (“to make straight”), from Medieval Latin rēctificō (“to make right”), from Latin rēctus (“straight”).
Across languages
Translations
73 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
поправям
(popravjam)
— to restore to its proper condition
Finnish:
korjata
— to restore to its proper condition
Ancient Greek:
κατορθόω
(katorthóō)
— to restore to its proper condition
Italian:
sanare
— to restore to its proper condition
Māori:
whakamana
— to restore to its proper condition
Bulgarian:
поправям
(popravjam)
— to remedy or fix
Finnish:
korjata
— to remedy or fix
Gothic:
𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽
(garaihtjan)
— to remedy or fix
Italian:
rimediare
— to remedy or fix
Italian:
regolarizzare
— to remedy or fix
Māori:
whakatika
— to remedy or fix
Māori:
whakamaene
— to remedy or fix
Persian:
درست کردن
(dorost kardan)
— to remedy or fix
Bulgarian:
пречиствам
(prečistvam)
— to purify or refine by distillation
Bulgarian:
рафинирам
(rafiniram)
— to purify or refine by distillation
Finnish:
tislata
— to purify or refine by distillation
Finnish:
puhdistaa
— to purify or refine by distillation
German:
destillieren
— to purify or refine by distillation
Italian:
distillare
— to purify or refine by distillation
Polish:
destylować
— to purify or refine by distillation
Russian:
очищать
(očiščatʹ)
— to purify or refine by distillation
Russian:
дистиллировать
(distillirovatʹ)
— to purify or refine by distillation
Russian:
ректифицировать
(rektificirovatʹ)
— to purify or refine by distillation
Turkish:
damıtmak
— to purify or refine by distillation
Turkish:
arıtmak
— to purify or refine by distillation
Ukrainian:
очища́ти
(očyščáty)
— to purify or refine by distillation
Ukrainian:
очи́стити
(očýstyty)
— to purify or refine by distillation
Azerbaijani:
düzəltmək
— to correct or amend something
Catalan:
rectificar
— to correct or amend something
Catalan:
subsanar
— to correct or amend something
Chinese Mandarin:
糾正 /纠正
(jiūzhèng)
— to correct or amend something
Chinese Mandarin:
整頓 /整顿
(zhěngdùn)
— to correct or amend something
Dutch:
herzien
— to correct or amend something
Dutch:
corrigeren
— to correct or amend something
Dutch:
rectificeren
— to correct or amend something
Dutch:
rechtzetten
— to correct or amend something
Dutch:
amenderen
— to correct or amend something
Dutch:
amelioreren
— to correct or amend something
Finnish:
oikaista
— to correct or amend something
Finnish:
korjata
— to correct or amend something
French:
rectifier
— to correct or amend something
Galician:
rectificar
— to correct or amend something
German:
korrigieren
— to correct or amend something
Gothic:
𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽
(garaihtjan)
— to correct or amend something
Irish:
ceartaigh
— to correct or amend something
Italian:
rettificare
— to correct or amend something
Japanese:
正す
(tadasu)
— to correct or amend something
Latin:
corrigō
— to correct or amend something
Latin:
rectificō
— to correct or amend something
Māori:
whakamaene
— to correct or amend something
Persian:
درست کردن
(dorost kardan)
— to correct or amend something
Polish:
poprawiać
— to correct or amend something
Polish:
poprawić
— to correct or amend something
Portuguese:
retificar
— to correct or amend something
Romanian:
rectifica
— to correct or amend something
Romanian:
corecta
— to correct or amend something
Russian:
исправля́ть
(ispravljátʹ)
— to correct or amend something
Russian:
испра́вить
(isprávitʹ)
— to correct or amend something
Spanish:
rectificar
— to correct or amend something
Spanish:
subsanar
— to correct or amend something
Swedish:
korrigera
— to correct or amend something
Tamil:
திருத்து
(tiruttu)
— to correct or amend something
Turkish:
düzeltmek
— to correct or amend something
Finnish:
korjata
— to correct someone who is mistaken
Italian:
correggere
— to correct someone who is mistaken
Bulgarian:
изправям
(izpravjam)
— to convert alternating current into direct current
Finnish:
tasasuunnata
— to convert alternating current into direct current
Italian:
rettificare
— to convert alternating current into direct current
Italian:
raddrizzare
— to convert alternating current into direct current
Polish:
prostować
— to convert alternating current into direct current
Russian:
выпрямлять
(vyprjamljatʹ)
— to convert alternating current into direct current
Swedish:
likrikta
— to convert alternating current into direct current
Finnish:
tislata
— to produce by redistilling with flavourings
