Definition of redressnext
as in to avenge
to punish in kind the wrongdoer responsible for the belief that redressing a murder with another murder, even if carried out by the state, is not morally justified

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb redress differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of redress are amend, correct, emend, rectify, reform, remedy, and revise. While all these words mean "to make right what is wrong," redress implies making compensation or reparation for an unfairness, injustice, or imbalance.

redress past social injustices

How is amend related to other words for redress?

Amend, reform, and revise imply an improving by making corrective changes, amend usually suggesting slight changes.

amend a law

When might correct be a better fit than redress?

The synonyms correct and redress are sometimes interchangeable, but correct implies taking action to remove errors, faults, deviations, defects.

correct your spelling

Where would emend be a reasonable alternative to redress?

Although the words emend and redress have much in common, emend specifically implies correction of a text or manuscript.

emend a text

When is rectify a more appropriate choice than redress?

The words rectify and redress can be used in similar contexts, but rectify implies a more essential changing to make something right, just, or properly controlled or directed.

rectify a misguided policy

In what contexts can reform take the place of redress?

While the synonyms reform and redress are close in meaning, reform implies drastic change.

plans to reform the court system

When can remedy be used instead of redress?

The words remedy and redress are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, remedy implies removing or making harmless a cause of trouble, harm, or evil.

set out to remedy the evils of the world

When could revise be used to replace redress?

In some situations, the words revise and redress are roughly equivalent. However, revise suggests a careful examination of something and the making of necessary changes.

revise the schedule

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of redress
Noun
While each group published a report documenting both broad and specific instances of racial discrimination, Alameda County went further and created a redress fund to be used to support the Black community. Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 1 July 2026 Yet my overall impressions of the exhibition—as a public forum of address, redress, and dialogue in which critical questions of public memory, regional identity, ideologies of nationalism, and the capacious field of site-specific sculpture can, if not should be borne out—are decidedly more mixed. Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
The wounds and humiliations of private life can rarely be redressed by law; literature offers a parallel tribunal in which those hurts are litigated and, if possible, imaginatively overcome. Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026 In 2020, a demand to redress historic wrongs grew following the murder of George Floyd and the national Black Lives Matter movement. Ara Rosenthal, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for redress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for redress
Noun
  • Alameda County supervisors voted Tuesday to create a permanent reparations committee for Black residents, moving a sweeping set of recommendations from study to the harder question of implementation.
    Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 1 July 2026
  • This vessel has a controversial past, built by Nazi Germany in 1935 as SSS *Horst Wessel*, named after a Nazi martyr, before being taken as war reparations by the US.
    Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • His character leads outcast samurai seeking to avenge their master's killing.
    ABC News, ABC News, 29 June 2026
  • The work reflects on the Greek myth of Orestes—the son who murdered his mother, Clytemnestra, to avenge the death of his father, Agamemnon.
    Zehra Jumabhoy, Artforum, 25 June 2026
Noun
  • In addition to the monetary compensation and scholarship awards, pageantry is also helping the girls build confidence and learn key behavioral skills.
    Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • Take action to protect your identity Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.
    Brian Sloan, CNBC, 3 July 2026
Noun
  • In the lawsuit, Flagg is asking for injunctive relief, damages, profits and attorneys' fees, arguing Swift's use of the phrase could create consumer confusion and damage the value of her existing brand.
    Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • According to the complaint, the Barbours are seeking personal injury damages for their physical injuries, and survival and wrongful death damages for Avila's estate.
    Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Redress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/redress. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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