What does "incorrect" mean?

1. (factually wrong) not right or not true; containing a mistake. 2. (socially improper) not suitable or not acceptable for a particular social situation. 3. (faulty or defective) not working properly or not made the right way.

incorrect

adj.

US //ˌɪnkɝˈɛkt// UK //ɪnkəɹˈɛkt// in·cor·rect

1 factually wrong (adj.)
A2 Elementary

not right or not true; containing a mistake.

not in accordance with fact or truth; erroneous.

Example

The teacher marked the answer as incorrect because the math was wrong.

Example

The initial report was based on incorrect data, leading the committee to reach a conclusion that was later thoroughly debunked.
2 socially improper (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

not suitable or not acceptable for a particular social situation.

not in accordance with accepted standards of behavior or social convention.

Example

It is considered incorrect to wear casual clothes to such a formal wedding.

Example

His comments were deemed politically incorrect, sparking a heated debate about the boundaries of professional discourse in the modern workplace.
- appropriate
- proper

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3 faulty or defective (adj.)
C1 Advanced Technical Technical

not working properly or not made the right way.

exhibiting a fault or defect in construction or function.

Example

The machine stopped working because of an incorrect setting in the software.

Example

The structural failure was eventually traced back to an incorrect assembly of the primary support beams during the construction phase.
- functional
- perfect

Origin

From Middle French incorrect. By surface analysis, in- + correct.

Word family

Adjectiveincorrect
Adverbincorrectly