What does accurate mean?
Accurate is an adjective meaning correct, exact, and free from error. It describes statements, measurements, records, accounts, or instruments that correspond faithfully to fact or to a reliable standard. An accurate map shows places where they truly are; an accurate report conveys events as they actually happened. The word carries a connotation of care and trustworthiness, and it is equally at home in everyday speech ('an accurate description') and in technical fields such as science, engineering, and journalism, where accuracy is a core professional value. It derives from the Latin accuratus, the past participle of accurare, 'to take care of', which is why accuracy has long been associated with diligence. Its common derivatives are the adverb accurately and the noun accuracy, and its natural opposite is inaccurate.
adjectiveCorrect in every detail; free from error or mistake. Conforming exactly to fact or to a standard.
- Free from error; correct in all details.
- (Of instruments or methods) capable of giving correct results; exact to a fine degree.
"The witness gave an accurate account of what happened that night."
"Her translation of the ancient text was remarkably accurate."
"The new atomic clock is accurate to within a billionth of a second."
The word 'accurate' comes from the Latin accurare — literally 'to take care of' — so being accurate originally meant caring enough to get things right.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accurate
Accurate comes from the Latin accuratus, meaning 'prepared with care, exact', the past participle of accurare, formed from ad- ('toward') plus curare ('to care for'). The word entered English in the early 17th century, initially carrying the sense of 'done with care' before settling into its modern meaning of 'free from error'. It shares its root curare with English words such as cure, secure, procure, and manicure, all ultimately tracing back to the Latin cura, meaning 'care'.
Related word forms
How accurate is actually used
Standard in both formal and informal contexts. In technical writing, 'accurate' is often contrasted with 'precise': an accurate result is close to the true value, while a precise result is consistently reproducible even if wrong.
Easily confused with accurate
Precise means exact and sharply defined in detail, while accurate means correct and free of error — a measurement can be precise without being accurate.