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Synonyms

imprecise

American  
[im-pruh-sahys] / ˌɪm prəˈsaɪs /

adjective

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

imprecise British  
/ ˌɪmprɪˈsaɪs, ˌɪmprɪˈsɪʒən /

adjective

  1. not precise; inexact or inaccurate

"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

Other Word Forms

  • imprecisely adverb
  • impreciseness noun
  • imprecision noun

Etymology

Origin of imprecise

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

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.

The microbe, Methanosarcina acetivorans, appears to function normally despite this flexible interpretation, demonstrating that life can operate with a slightly imprecise code.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026

Barca could not get out of first gear in a dry first half and their passing was unusually imprecise.

From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026

Pepin-Neff adds that broad, imprecise language around encounters is likely fuelling fears and distorting people's understanding of the risk.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

Other options companies have explored include training on synthetic data and through simulations, which provide an easier way to scale but can offer more imprecise results.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 27, 2025

I hate imprecise descriptions like lots, few, and hardly any.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

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.