Meaning & use
imprecise
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Not exact, detailed, or carefully defined; only roughly correct.
Grammar: Can be modified and compared: somewhat imprecise; more imprecise than before.
Patterns
- imprecise wording
- imprecise measurements
- imprecise memory
The imprecise directions sent us around the block twice.
Her memory of the meeting was imprecise about dates.
These measurements are too imprecise for a medical trial.
Word forms
| comparative | more imprecise |
|---|---|
| superlative | most imprecise |
Common combinations
- imprecise language
- The contract failed because of imprecise language.
- imprecise measurements
- Imprecise measurements can ruin the machine parts.
- somewhat imprecise
- The timeline remains somewhat imprecise.
Synonyms and how they differ
- vague
- Suggests lacking clear shape or detail; imprecise stresses failure to be exact.
- approximate
- Can be acceptably close; imprecise often implies avoidable lack of exactness.
- loose
- Means not strict or tight; loose rules are imprecise, but loose is less about measurement.
Opposites
Word family
- imprecision noun
- Lack of exactness or precision.
- precision noun
- The quality of being exact and accurate.
Commonly confused: imprecise or inaccurate?
imprecise vs inaccurate
Inaccurate means wrong or mistaken; imprecise can be roughly right while lacking exact detail.
Practice
Which sentence uses imprecise in the best way?
Choose one answer.
Imprecise fits a rough but usable estimate. Naming the wrong century is inaccurate, lying is deception, and a knife is not normally called imprecise in this sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “imprecise”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.