recti-, rect-

A situation in which there is a lack of truth or improper social behavior: Political incorrectness can be exemplified by actions which are perceived as insulting groups of people who are at a disadvantage or those who are discriminated against.

1. An organized opposition or rebellion against an authority: One kind of insurrection is a mutiny on a ship when the crew revolts against the captain.
2. A rebellion against the government or rulers of a country that often involves armed conflict: The Boston Tea Party, which was a political uprising against the rule of England, is certainly an excellent example of an insurrection which took place in Boston, Massachusetts in 1773.

An individual who provokes or takes part in an armed revolution against an established government, especially in the hope of improving the political situation: In the United States, Nat Turner, who was an insurrectionist in 1831, was  the head of a rebellion of slaves in Virginia, and he was later found and executed.

A plane figure with four straight sides and four corners, all of which are equal, or anything shaped like this: Sharon's father had constructed twenty cabins that were in the form of rectangles to rent to summer tourists to live in while they were vacationing near the lake.

1. Relating to a square-shaped structure that has four cube-like surfaces: A rectangular drawing is one that has four right angles which are also defined as an equiangular or quadrilateral figures.
2. Etymology: from the Latin rectangulus; a combination of rectus, "right" + angulus, "angle".

Relating to something that can be corrected or made right: Mike had some rectifiable grammar errors to remove or to correct in his book report before he handed it in to his English teacher.

1. Something that is corrected or made right by editing a written report or making the best adjustments to objects: There were not enough chairs for everyone to sit on at the concert, so a rectification was made by providing more seats for all of those who were attending.
2. A procedure that involves decontaminating or cleaning a material: Rectification can be described as the process of removing impure substances from oil, metals, sugar, etc.

Someone who makes others aware of something: One kind of rectifier is a teacher whose job is to correct students when they make mistakes.

To make something accurate and correct or proper and respectable: The saleslady amended, or rectified, the amount Eddie had to pay for the antique vase because she had charged too much for it. © ALL rights are reserved.

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A reference to the movement forward in a straight line or course: Rectigrade motion can be seen in larvae having 16 legs which progress with a straight body as opposed to the geometrid moth larvae which show looping motions when they advance.

Descriptive of a straight line or lines: Some cities are planned to have rectilineal streets and roads, not crooked or curved, but quite aligned with each other.

1. Characterized by straight lines: Since Edward and his wife didn’t like flowery patterns for their wallpaper, they chose colorful one-dimensional, or rectilinear, patterns instead.
2. Etymology: "a straightforward line of descent", from Late Latin rectilineus which comes from the Latin words rectus, "straight" + linea, "line".

A lesser-known variant, "rectilineal", comes from the same Late Latin rectilineus and employs the -al suffix instead of -ar.

Rectilineal still shows up occasionally, but rectilinear is used much more.

Pertaining to how lines are formed in a straight way: Susan rectilinearly sketched on her pad of paper, trying to re-create the modern-looking curtains she was looking at in the café where she was sitting.

Moral correctness or honesty in behavior when making decisions: Rectitude is an attribute or quality which implies that a person's actions are justified, and it can have the connotation that someone has been "judged" or "reckoned" as leading a life that is pleasing to God. © ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

1. Relating to being honest and morally correct: Margarete’s friend suggested that she should consult with the most rectitudinous lawyer in the area in order to get the best and most decent advice regarding her legal problem.
2. Self-righteous in a religious or devout way: The term rectitudinous sometimes suggests not only moral uprightness but also an unacceptable "holier-than-thou attitude".
3. Etymology: from Late Latin rectitudin-, which is derived from the Latin element rectus, "straight" and "right".