imprecise
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of imprecise
Explanation
If you’re being imprecise, you’re not being exact. If you try to draw a perfect circle with your eyes closed, your drawing will probably be imprecise. One field where imprecise measurements can turn out to be troublesome is cooking. If you add an imprecise amount of flour into pizza dough, you will either get a crumbly, floury mess that won't stick together, or a big, gooey glob of dough that you can't roll out into a flat crust. Either way, your pizza will not turn out very well, and you might want to remeasure or order from the local pizza place!
Vocabulary lists containing imprecise
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Way Off: Synonyms for "Wrong"
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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.
Critics say targeting the delivery system is an imprecise solution that risks broader consequences.
From Salon • May 2, 2026
Private-equity valuations have always been somewhat imprecise, and firms have long had incentives to overstate the value of their holdings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
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
During air strikes, GPS signals are scrambled, making sonar readings imprecise.
From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026
Hoving has talked to many art experts whom he calls fakebusters, and they all describe the act of getting at the truth of a work of art as an extraordinarily imprecise process.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
