accurate

American

[ak-yer-it] / ˈæk yər ɪt /

adjective

free from error or defect; consistent with a standard, rule, or model; precise; exact.

Synonyms:

unerring, true
careful or meticulous.

I need a really accurate proofreader to check this paper before I submit it to the journal.

accurate British

/ ˈækjərɪt /

adjective

faithfully representing or describing the truth
showing a negligible or permissible deviation from a standard

an accurate ruler
without error; precise; meticulous
maths
1. (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.
2. (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

"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

Related Words

See correct.

Other Word Forms

accurately adverb
accurateness noun
hyperaccurate adjective
hyperaccurateness noun
superaccurate adjective
superaccurateness noun
unaccurate adjective
unaccurateness noun

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

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.

I am not sure whether this is accurate or whether such services could be a scam.

From MarketWatch

These are the first figures produced under a new system for estimating poverty levels, which the government says is more accurate.

From BBC

At the highest level we have reinforced the idea that every call is important, or worse, that the standard should be 100% accuracy, when not even the robots themselves are 100% accurate.

From The Wall Street Journal

"People are already familiar with the current SPF numbering system and it's used around the world. The numbers just need to be accurate."

From BBC

"But I can logically make a variety of assumptions that I think would be very accurate."

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023