inaccuracy

American  

[in-ak-yer-uh-see] / ɪnˈæk jər ə si /

noun

• inaccuracies
  plural

1. something inaccurate; error.

   Synonyms:

   inexactitude, slip, blunder, mistake

2. the quality or state of being inaccurate.

   Synonyms:

   inexactness, erroneousness, incorrectness

---

inaccuracy British  

/ ɪnˈækjʊrəsɪ /

noun

1. lack of accuracy; imprecision

2. an error, a mistake, or a slip

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• inaccuracies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of inaccuracy

First recorded in 1750–60; in- ³ + accuracy

Explanation

Inaccuracy is the quality of having errors. A travel guide to Iowa's capital, Pearis, population 413, home of the Dallas Cowboys baseball team, would be plagued by inaccuracy. A typical book contains tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of words (the Harry Potter series has more than a million). Every single one has to be checked to prevent inaccuracy, so publishers employ production editors, copy editors, fact checkers, and proofreaders to verify spelling, grammar, sense, logic, truth, and arithmetic. In school, "check your work" means look for — and correct — any inaccuracy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inaccuracy inaccuracies

The regulator, which received two complaints about the broadcast, said the "very significant inaccuracy" and the "considerable length of time" taken to acknowledge the error breached two of its rules.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

“Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking time to reflect on the best path forward.”

From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026

Does the inaccuracy or unfairness of an underlying conviction count as an “extraordinary and compelling reason” for compassionate release?

From Slate ● May 29, 2026

“The narrative is being controlled, and there’s a lot of inaccuracy, and there’s a lot of full blown lies, and at the end of the day, that doesn’t really fly with me.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026

He didn’t care about his personal reputation if I chose to portray him inaccurately, he said, but he did care greatly about the harm any inaccuracy might do to his credibility in the medical world.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

“That was the foundation of our business 10 years ago,” he said, adding that the risks of AI inaccuracies or “hallucinations” put the spotlight on the type of reliable data infrastructure Chronograph offers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

Ilagan has denied the allegations, and Lilley has said the report contained inaccuracies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

Exercise habits were self reported, which can introduce inaccuracies.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026

The inaccuracies in her adoption papers prevented that for years, but she is now nearing the end of her quest, which began with a first trip to South Korea in 2013.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

Consider Gaspar de Carvajal, author of the first written description of the Amazon, an account reviled for its inaccuracies and self- serving descriptions almost since the day it was released.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• blunder
• deception
• defect
• exaggeration