Words / B2

AK-y-uh-r-uh-see/ˈækjərəsi/

Accuracy is how correct and exact something is: check the accuracy of the data, a high degree of accuracy. Exactness is close; precision is a cousin that often means fine measurement rather than being right. Accurate is the adjective. In speech, whether the figures are right is enough. Accuracy is a standard, not a compliment for a long essay. Do not praise “accuracy of feeling” when you mean honesty.

Meaning

The quality of being correct and exact.

Examples

• “Check the accuracy of the figures before you send them.”
• “The accuracy of the register mattered: one missing name delayed the trip.”
• “Spell-check helps, but it will not guarantee the accuracy of a name or a date.”

Good to know

How correct/exact it is. Adjective: accurate. Everyday: whether it is right. Close: precision (fine measurement).

Near in meaning

exactness

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