Incorrect means wrong or not accurate. When your answer on a math problem is incorrect, it doesn't match the right solution. When someone gives you incorrect directions, following them won't get you where you need to go.

The word applies to facts, answers, beliefs, and actions. An incorrect spelling has letters in the wrong order or the wrong letters entirely. An incorrect assumption means you believed something that turned out not to be true. If you're told the movie starts at 7:00 but it actually starts at 7:30, you received incorrect information.

Incorrect is more formal and neutral than wrong. While “wrong” can sometimes suggest moral judgment or blame, incorrect usually just means “not matching the facts.” A teacher might mark an answer incorrect without any suggestion that you did something bad: you simply made a mistake or misunderstood the question.

The opposite of incorrect is correct, naturally. Notice that something can be partially incorrect, like an essay with some good points but also some incorrect facts mixed in. Scientists constantly test their theories to find out which parts are correct and which are incorrect, refining their understanding over time.