"I Stand Corrected" Meaning

Co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD

Last Updated: August 8, 2022

Idioms can be tricky to figure out, and the phrase “I stand corrected” is definitely a tough one. Maybe you’ve seen it in books or heard it in movies, but what does it really mean? When is it appropriate to use? Is it rude to say? You’ve got questions, and we’ve got the answers! Continue reading for a comprehensive breakdown of the meaning, situations you can use it in, and common confusions around this expression.

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What does “I stand corrected” mean?

“I stand corrected” means you agree that you were wrong. It’s a way of acknowledging your mistakes, and can refer to actions, words, or opinions. You can think of it as the more formal version of the modern slang phrase “my bad”.^{[1]
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- Another way to think about this phrase is to picture the literal image it describes – you are standing where you are, acknowledging that you are being corrected by someone or something.

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When to Say “I Stand Corrected”

1
Say “I stand corrected” when someone corrects you. This is the most common scenario. If you say an incorrect fact and one of your friends corrects you. You might reply with “I stand corrected” to acknowledge what you’d said was wrong, and to show you agree the new information they said is right.
- You: “There’s no way that movie has been out for more than 10 years!”
- Your friend: “I just looked it up, it came out 12 years ago.”
- You: “Well, I stand corrected then.”
2
Use “I stand corrected” when a situation proves you wrong. You can say this phrase even if no one corrects you, because sometimes the circumstances will correct you! Making predictions, bets, or quick assumptions will often lead to you saying “I stand corrected”.
- Perhaps you’d said you thought green juice was gross, but after trying it you find you like it a lot. Your previous opinion was proven wrong by the event of actually liking green juice. You could say “I stand corrected. Green juice is great!”
- You predict it won’t storm, and then later that afternoon it does. Your prediction was proven wrong by the fact that it did rain. This is another situation where the phrase “I stand corrected” would work well.

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“I Stand Corrected” vs “I Stand to Be Corrected”

“I stand corrected” and “I stand to be corrected” have different meanings. These two phrases are commonly confused with one another, but they mean pretty much the opposite thing. Whereas “I stand corrected” means to admit you’re wrong, “I stand to be corrected” means you might be wrong, but you haven’t been proven wrong yet. What a difference just two words can make to a phrase.

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Is it rude to say “I stand corrected”?

No, it’s not rude at all. All you’re doing is correcting your previous statements. However, remember, anything can be rude when said in an impolite tone, so make sure you're being genuine and not sarcastic when admitting you’re wrong.