What does precision mean?
Precision means exactness and careful attention to detail. The word is used when something is measured, performed, written, or manufactured with a high degree of accuracy and control. In technical contexts, precision can describe both the quality of a process and the instruments used to carry it out, as in precision engineering or precision instruments. In descriptions of writing or speech, it refers to the use of exact, economical language rather than vague or imprecise expression. The term often carries a positive connotation because it suggests skill, discipline, and reliability, though it can also describe the unusually exact behaviour of a machine or instrument. It is related to the adjective precise and the adverb precisely.
nounThe quality of being exact, accurate, and carefully detailed. It can also refer to the degree of refinement or exactness with which something is done or made.
- The quality of being exact, accurate, and free from error.
- The degree of refinement or detail in a process, performance, or instrument.
- Exactness in the expression or execution of something, especially in language or movement.
"The technician adjusted the machine with remarkable precision."
"The measurements were recorded with great precision."
"Her concise style was admired for its precision."
"Precision instruments are essential for delicate surgery."
The plural is uncommon, but may be used when referring to different instances or degrees of exactness.
"The engineers compared the precisions of the two instruments."
Precision turns careful measurement into a form of craftsmanship: the difference between something nearly right and exactly right.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does precision come from?
The English word entered Middle English from French précision, a noun meaning exactness or preciseness. French borrowed the term from Latin praecisionem, an accusative form of praecisio, itself derived from praecidere, “to cut off,” formed from prae- and caedere, “to cut.” The original sense related to distinguishing or defining something sharply, which developed into the modern ideas of exactness and accuracy.
Related word forms
How precision is actually used
Precision is generally formal or neutral. It is especially common in technical, scientific, and professional contexts, where it describes exact measurement, workmanship, or control.
Easily confused with precision
Precision emphasizes exactness, careful control, or fine detail, whereas accuracy emphasizes closeness to a correct or true value.