Meaning & use
accuracy
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Meanings
noununcountable
The quality of being correct, exact, and free from mistakes.
Grammar: No plural in everyday use; say 'the accuracy of the report,' not 'an accuracy.'
Patterns
- with accuracy
- the accuracy of something
- check the accuracy of something
- improve accuracy
We checked the accuracy of every figure before publishing the report.
She described the accident with surprising accuracy.
Modern translators have greatly improved the accuracy of online tools.
noununcountabletechnical
In measurement and science, the degree to which a result matches the true or accepted value.
Grammar: Used with technical phrases such as 'degree of accuracy'; contrast precision, which means consistency between repeated results.
Patterns
- degree of accuracy
- measure something with accuracy
- accuracy of measurement
The scale measures weight with an accuracy of one gram.
Engineers tested the accuracy of the temperature sensors against a standard.
The instrument claims an accuracy of 99.9 percent.
Common combinations
- with great accuracy
- The machine cuts the glass with great accuracy.
- check the accuracy of something
- Please check the accuracy of the address before you ship the order.
- improve accuracy
- Calibrating the tool every month improves its accuracy.
- the accuracy of the results
- The accuracy of the results depends on careful sampling.
- deadly accuracy
- The goalkeeper passed the ball to his teammate with deadly accuracy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- precision
- Emphasizes fine detail and consistency between repeated results; a measurement can be precise without being accurate.
- exactness
- Suggests strict conformity to facts or standards, often of wording or numbers.
- correctness
- A broader term covering being right in general, not just free from measurement error.
Opposites
Word family
- accurate adjective
- Correct, exact, and free from errors.
- accurately adverb
- In a correct and exact way.
- inaccurate adjective
- Not correct; containing errors.
- inaccuracy noun
- A mistake or lack of correctness.
Commonly confused: accuracy or precision?
accuracy vs precision
Accuracy is closeness to the true value; precision is how closely repeated measurements agree with each other.
Practice
The editor checked the ___ of every date in the article against the original records.
Choose one answer.
'Accuracy' means freedom from errors, which fits checking dates against records. 'Accumulation' and 'accrual' refer to things building up, and 'agreement' does not mean correctness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “accuracy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.