adjective
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faithfully representing or describing the truth
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showing a negligible or permissible deviation from a standard
an accurate ruler
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without error; precise; meticulous
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maths
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(to n significant digits) representing the first n digits of the given number starting with the first nonzero digit, but approximating to the nearest digit in the final position
since π = 3.14159…, the approximation 3.1416 is accurate to 5 significant digits.
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(to n decimal places) giving the first n digits after the decimal point without further approximation
π = 3.1415 is in this sense accurate to 4 decimal places
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Synonym Usage
See correct.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of accurate
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin accūrātus “carefully prepared” (past participle of accūrāre ), equivalent to ac- ac- + cūr(a) “care” + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
Something that is accurate is exact and true. It's important to be accurate in the kitchen with your measurements and in the courtroom with your testimony. The adjective accurate comes from the Latin roots ad curare, meaning "to take care," and that is precisely what you do when you make sure something is accurate. You take care to make sure it is perfectly correct: an accurate answer, an accurate headcount, an accurate assessment of the problem. By adding the Latin root in, meaning not, you can make the antonym inaccurate (not accurate).
Vocabulary lists containing accurate
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 1-10
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Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 1
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List 3
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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.
A White House official said the Pentagon offers Trump unbiased and accurate information to make informed decisions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Lead researcher Dr. Ian Towle, a Research Fellow at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, said recent findings are making the existing classification system less useful and less accurate.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
But it is accurate to say that strategy is adventurous, while logistics can be boring.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
McGoran also says that technologies such as laser-guidance systems and gyroscopes, which help machines work out their position relative to the world around them, have made tunnelling more accurate in recent years.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Although it was faster, the method was not as accurate and Rondon didn’t like it.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
Definitions 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.
