imprecise

[im-pruh-sahys]

adjective

1. not precise; not exact; vague or ill-defined.

imprecise

/ ˌɪmprɪˈsaɪs, ˌɪmprɪˈsɪʒən /

adjective

1. not precise; inexact or inaccurate

Other Word Forms

• imprecisely adverb
• imprecision noun
• impreciseness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of imprecise¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; im- ² + precise

Example Sentences

Critics said the language was imprecise, including a mandate to get rid of departments that belittle conservative ideas.

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“Battlefield damage assessment is an imprecise art, with initial estimates frequently being way off,” said Patrick Clawson, an expert on Iran and director for research at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

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The margin of error may be imprecise; however, the survey’s estimated margin of error for Los Angeles County voters is 2 percentage points, and higher for subgroups.

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The margin of error may be imprecise; however, the survey’s estimated margin of error for L.A.

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Department of Agriculture scientist, said in an email that finding H5N1 antibodies in the blood of veterinarians was an interesting “but very imprecise way to measure state cattle incidence.”

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Related Words

• broken 
• cracked 
• damaged www.thesaurus.com
• defective 
• deficient 
• erroneous 
• false 
• flawed 
• inaccurate 
• inadequate 
• incomplete 
• insufficient 
• invalid 
• leaky 
• malfunctioning www.thesaurus.com
• unreliable