Precision

Definition

Precision refers to the quality, condition, or fact of being exact and accurate.

Parts of Speech

• Noun: precision

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /prɪˈʒʌn/
• Respelling: prih-ZHUN (with "prih" as in "prism," and "ZHUN" as in "vision")

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /prɪˈsɪʒən/
• Respelling: prih-SIZH-uhn (with "prih" as in "prism," "SIZH" as in "vision," and "uhn" as a softer "un")

In both dialects, "precision" places the primary stress on the second syllable. The pronunciation differences primarily involve the final vowel sound, which is more pronounced in British English.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin word "praecisionem", meaning "a cutting off, a cutting short". This noun of action is from the past participle stem of "praecidere", which means "to cut off, shorten".

Derivatives

• Precise
• Precisely
• Precisify
• Precisional
• Precisionist

Synonyms

• Accuracy
• Exactness
• Exactitude

Antonyms

• Inaccuracy
• Vagueness
• Ambiguity

Usage

"Precision" is often used in technical and scientific contexts to highlight the importance of exactness and accuracy in measurements, descriptions, or actions.

Related Terms

• Precision engineering
• Precision instrument
• Precision measurement
• Precision-guided
• Precision farming

Detailed Definition

Noun

• The quality or state of being precise or exact; accuracy in detail.
• Example: "The precision of the measurements ensured the success of the experiment."

• The degree to which the result of a measurement conforms to the correct value or a standard.
• Example: "The new equipment offers greater precision in testing."

• In the context of information retrieval, the fraction of retrieved documents that are relevant to the query.
• Example: "High precision means that an algorithm returned substantially more relevant results than irrelevant ones."