precise

[pri-sahys]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR precise ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

definitely or strictly stated, defined, or fixed: precise directions.

being exactly that and neither more nor less: a precise temperature; a precise amount.

being just that and no other: the precise dress she had wanted.

definite or exact in statement, as a person.

carefully distinct: precise articulation.

exact in measuring, recording, etc.: a precise instrument.

excessively or rigidly particular: precise observance of regulations; precise grooming.

Origin of precise

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin praecīsus curtailed, brief, orig. past participle of praecīdere to cut off, cut short, equivalent to prae- pre- + -cīsus, combining form of caesus, past participle of caedere to cut

Related formspre·cise·ly, adverbpre·cise·ness, nouno·ver·pre·cise, adjectiveo·ver·pre·cise·ly, adverbo·ver·pre·cise·ness, nounsu·per·pre·cise, adjectivesu·per·pre·cise·ly, adverbsu·per·pre·cise·ness, nounul·tra·pre·cise, adjectiveun·pre·cise, adjectiveun·pre·cise·ly, adverbun·pre·cise·ness, noun

Can be confusedprécis precise

Synonyms for precise

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR precise ON THESAURUS.COM

1. explicit.

Synonym study

1. See correct.

Antonyms for precise

1. indefinite, vague.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for precise

particular, actual, explicit, decisive, definite, specific, strict, literal, rigid, clear-cut, proper, rigorous, narrow, correct, scrupulous, careful, exact, formal, absolute, categorical

Examples from the Web for precise

Contemporary Examples of precise

The goal is to create a literary anatomy of the last century—or, to be precise, from 1900 to 2014.
The 2014 Novel of the Year
Nathaniel Rich
December 29, 2014
I spent half an hour measuring all around the president to get the 27 precise measurements I needed to craft a true custom suit.
From Auschwitz to the White House: One Tailor’s American Tale
Martin Greenfield
December 5, 2014
I thought he was very intelligent, very gentle, soft-spoken, precise.
All Eyes on Anjelica Huston: The Legendary Actress on Love, Abuse, and Jack Nicholson
Alex Suskind
November 10, 2014
There is also striking lack of agreement among doctors about the precise definition of intersex.
Intersexuality and God Through the Ages
Candida Moss
November 9, 2014
Precise numbers are hard to come by, but reports indicate that the attacks killed hundreds of people, including children.
The Kardashian Look-Alike Trolling for Assad
Noah Shachtman, Michael Kennedy
October 17, 2014

Historical Examples of precise

I cannot recall the precise amount, but it was not so much as what you call one dollar.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Their precise age and antiquity have been disputed with some acrimony.
The Dramatic Values in Plautus
Wilton Wallace Blancke
For this complaint there is no precise English name; but, alas!
Tales And Novels, Volume 4 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
The precise occasion of this offence cannot, and need not, be ascertained.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. I
Francis Augustus Cox
What he wanted to know was the precise area of India in square miles.
American Notes
Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for precise

precise

adjective

strictly correct in amount or valuea precise sum

designating a certain thing and no other; particularthis precise location

using or operating with total accuracyprecise instruments

strict in observance of rules, standards, etca precise mind

Derived Formspreciseness, noun

Word Origin for precise

C16: from French précis, from Latin praecīdere to curtail, from prae before + caedere to cut

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

Word Origin and History for precise

adj.

mid-15c., from Middle French précis "condensed, cut short" (14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin precisus, from Latin praecisus "abrupt, abridged, cut off," past participle of praecidere "to cut off, shorten," from prae "before" (see pre-) + caedere "to cut" (see -cide; for Latin vowel change, see acquisition). Related: Precisely (late 14c.).