corrigendum
nounPronunciation: /ˌkɔrɪˈdʒɛndəm/
A formal notice published to correct significant errors in a previously published work. It identifies and rectifies mistakes that occurred during the publication process.
Full Definition
A corrigendum is an official correction notice published by a journal or publisher to address errors that appeared in a previously published article, book, or other scholarly work. These corrections typically address factual errors, calculation mistakes, incorrect data, attribution errors, or other significant inaccuracies that occurred during editing, typesetting, or production rather than in the original manuscript. Unlike errata, which may correct author errors, corrigenda specifically address publisher-introduced mistakes. The corrigendum is usually published in a subsequent issue and may also be linked to the original article in digital formats to ensure readers are aware of the corrections.
Plain English
An official correction notice that fixes mistakes that were accidentally introduced when a book or article was being prepared for publication.
In Editorial Context
A post-publication correction mechanism used when editorial or production processes have introduced errors into the published version that were not present in the accepted manuscript.
Etymology & History
Developed in scholarly publishing to maintain accuracy and acknowledge responsibility when publishers introduced errors during the production process.
Historically used interchangeably with erratum, but modern publishing increasingly distinguishes between author errors (erratum) and publisher errors (corrigendum).
Usage
"The library's catalog system automatically links the corrigendum to the original article record to ensure researchers access the corrected information."
Usage note: Use corrigendum for publisher-introduced errors; distinguish from erratum (author errors) and retraction (fundamental flaws).
Context: academic publishing, scholarly journals, formal corrections
Region: international
Also known as
Contrasted with
Don't confuse with
Often confused with erratum - corrigendum specifically addresses publisher errors while erratum traditionally covers author errors.