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accuracy

American  
[ak-yer-uh-see] / ˈæk jər ə si /

noun

  • accuracies
    plural
  1. the condition or quality of being true, correct, or exact; freedom from error or defect; precision or exactness; correctness.

  2. Chemistry, Physics. the extent to which a given measurement agrees with the standard value for that measurement.

  3. Mathematics. the degree of correctness of a quantity, expression, etc.


accuracy British  
/ ˈækjʊrəsɪ /

noun

  1. faithful measurement or representation of the truth; correctness; precision

  2. physics chem the degree of agreement between a measured or computed value of a physical quantity and the standard or accepted value for that quantity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Nouns

Etymology

Origin of accuracy

First recorded in 1655–65; accur(ate) + -acy

Explanation

Accuracy refers to a lack of mistakes or errors. "I type very fast, but the accuracy of my typing is n't very goode." Accuracy is a must for anyone who works in a precise profession. Would you trust a surgeon who lacks accuracy to remove your appendix? His lack of precision might result in the accidental removal of your spleen. A meteorologist with questionable accuracy isn't going to be popular either, especially when it rains every time he predicts a sunny day.

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Vocabulary lists containing accuracy

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.

See Examples For:

“And that there was still some time to assess the accuracy of that judgment,” it added.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 25, 2026

Researchers are also working to determine the ultimate accuracy of the microcomb system.

From Science Daily Aug. 24, 2026

What makes things even more difficult is that it’s impossible, as of now, to pinpoint the exact time and location of a downpour, even though it can be gauged with marvelous accuracy.

From Slate Aug. 21, 2026

House of Representatives subcommittee overseeing the Census Bureau from 1987 to 1994, said the report’s minimal methodological information raised questions about the accuracy of the results.

From Salon Aug. 21, 2026

They unflinchingly respected the accuracy of observational data, and their predictions of the motion of the planets to high precision provided compelling evidence that, at an unexpectedly deep level, humans can understand the Cosmos.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Still, though, the ALA's reliance on media accounts and reports from librarians remains a confounding variable in the numerical accuracies, as the body has previously noted.

From Salon Sep. 23, 2024

This outperformed other methods, both shallow and deep learning, which had accuracies below 80%.

From Science Daily Nov. 20, 2023

“That report was not completely accurate but there’s some accuracies in it,” said Jayna Hefford, a four-time Olympic gold medalist for Canada who is the PWHPA’s lead operations consultant.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 9, 2023

Let the D.C. curriculum reflect the historical accuracies, including the murder — the Holocaust — of millions, particularly Jews, during World War II.

From Washington Post Feb. 19, 2023

The Comtist replies that the task is philosophic; and is not to be judged by the minute accuracies of science.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 7 "Columbus" to "Condottiere" by Various

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