emend

What does “emend” mean?

verb.to make corrections and improvements to (a text).

SAT Usage

this verb is often found in passages related to literature, editing, or academic discourse, emphasizing the process of refining and enhancing written work. It implies a careful and thoughtful approach to correction, distinguishing it from simpler terms like "correct," which may not convey the same depth of improvement or critical engagement with the material.

Common Confusions

Emend implies a careful and thoughtful improvement of a text, while correct usually suggests a simpler act of fixing errors without the same depth of refinement.

Example Sentences

• The editor worked to emend the errors in the manuscript.

• The new policy was designed to emend the financial hardships facing families.

Word Parts: How to Remember “emend”

Break “emend” into its parts: ex- (out of, from). Knowing roots like these helps you decode unfamiliar SAT vocabulary.

• Prefix: ex- out of, from (Latin)