inaccurate
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does inaccurate mean? Inaccurate describes something that is incorrect, false, or not quite right, as in I came home at 9:30 last night, so saying I was out all night is inaccurate. Inaccurate is the opposite of accurate, which describes something being free of defects or errors. You might describe a scale is inaccurate if it doesn’t show the precise weight of something. Inaccurate can also describe something that is wrong or untrue. You could claim that the lie your brother told about you is inaccurate, especially if there’s a bit of truth in what he said but overall it’s wrong. Example: The results of the test were inaccurate, but they can be used to improve the next one.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of inaccurate
Explanation
If what you tell me is not exactly right, it is inaccurate. If you measured the amount of rainfall incorrectly, your data about the climate would be inaccurate. Accuracy means being very precise and getting the information right. When something is inaccurate, it is the opposite of exact. If you get a question wrong on a test, your teacher will not say, "You, sir, are inaccurate," she'll just say you are wrong. She might also explain that your inaccurate methodology led to an inaccurate response.
Vocabulary lists containing inaccurate
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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Common Core Grades 7–8, List 1
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Common Core Grade 6, List 1
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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.
The half-submerged mammoth sculpture in the museum’s iconic outdoor Lake Pit gives the common but inaccurate impression that the tar worked like quicksand, sucking its victims fatally downward.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
The company found that one of the marketing solutions led to inaccurate and insufficient data and slowed its rollout to ensure the data were reliable, Eisenhardt said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
This prevailing narrative is not only inaccurate, but its consequences are devastating.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
Because participants self-reported their habits, some responses may have been inaccurate.
From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026
Many of the news articles published hastily that day were inaccurate.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
