inaccurate
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does inaccurate mean? Inaccurate describes something that is incorrect, false, or not quite right, as in I came home at 9:30 last night, so saying I was out all night is inaccurate. Inaccurate is the opposite of accurate, which describes something being free of defects or errors. You might describe a scale is inaccurate if it doesn’t show the precise weight of something. Inaccurate can also describe something that is wrong or untrue. You could claim that the lie your brother told about you is inaccurate, especially if there’s a bit of truth in what he said but overall it’s wrong. Example: The results of the test were inaccurate, but they can be used to improve the next one.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inaccurate
Explanation
If what you tell me is not exactly right, it is inaccurate. If you measured the amount of rainfall incorrectly, your data about the climate would be inaccurate. Accuracy means being very precise and getting the information right. When something is inaccurate, it is the opposite of exact. If you get a question wrong on a test, your teacher will not say, "You, sir, are inaccurate," she'll just say you are wrong. She might also explain that your inaccurate methodology led to an inaccurate response.
Vocabulary lists containing inaccurate
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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Common Core Grades 7–8, List 1
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Common Core Grade 6, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sorkin’s depiction of Zuckerberg as a sniveling coward might be smug, but it’s not inaccurate.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
Checking daily moves in your accounts gives you an inaccurate or, at the very least, incomplete outlook about the stock market’s overall health.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
On the other, law enforcement can also request AI conversations, courts can subpoena AI chat logs and chatbots can provide inaccurate information while also flattering people, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
A series of articles in The Wall Street Journal reported that UnitedHealth received billions of dollars in federal payments by adding diagnoses to patients records, including some diagnoses that were questionable or inaccurate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
There were many wild and inaccurate stories about my experiences underground.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
