Definition

Noun: 1. A correction made to a text, especially a historical or literary one, to remove errors or restore the original intended meaning. This is the act or result of critically editing a written work to improve its accuracy or fidelity. 2. The process of making such corrections through scholarly editing.

Usage

• The word "emendation" is used primarily in academic, literary, and publishing contexts. It refers to a specific, considered change made to a text, not a casual correction of a typo.
• It often implies the correction is based on evidence, such as comparing different manuscript versions or applying philological knowledge.
• It is a formal term.

Examples

• The scholar's proposed emendation of the ancient manuscript clarified a previously confusing passage.
• This new critical edition of the novel includes a list of all editorial emendations in the appendix.
• The emendation changed "sad" to "said," which made the sentence grammatically correct.

Advanced Usage

• "Conjectural emendation": A correction proposed by an editor when no direct textual evidence supports it, but it is considered necessary for the text to make sense. This is based on the editor's scholarly judgment.
  • The editor's conjectural emendation, though controversial, resolved a major inconsistency in the plot.

Variants and Related Words

• Emend (verb): To make an emendation; to correct or improve a text.
  • The editor worked to emend the errors that had crept into later printings.
• Emender (noun): A person who makes emendations.

Synonyms

• Correction
• Amendment
• Rectification
• Alteration (in a textual context)

Antonyms

• Error
• Mistake
• Corruption (of a text)

Related Phrases

• Textual criticism: The scholarly discipline of analyzing and emending texts to establish their most accurate form.
• Critical edition: A published version of a text that documents all editorial decisions and emendations.

Noun

1. a correction by emending; a correction resulting from critical editing