precise

verb

(nonstandard, European Union documents, transitive) To make or render precise; to specify.

adjective

(loosely) Both exact and accurate.

(sciences, engineering, of data points, strictly) Consistent, clustered close together, agreeing with each other (this does not mean that they cluster near the true, correct, or accurate value).

Adhering too much to rules; prim or punctilious.

Roots

praepre- · Latin · before, in front caedo-cis · Latin · cut, kill

Synonyms for precise

accurateadj exactadj meticulousadj detailedadj punctiliousadj pinpointv correctadj punctualadj scrupulousadj precisian

Synonyms & related words for precise

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of precise — including accurate, exact, meticulous, detailed, punctilious, pinpoint. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to precise

Explore words related to precise — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include overprecise, exactable, finespun, precision, ultramicrometer, preciseness, exactitude, accurateness. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for precise

Common synonyms for precise include accurate, exact, meticulous, detailed, punctilious, pinpoint, correct, punctual — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does precise come from?

The word precise breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: pre-, from Latin prae (“before, in front”); and -cis, from Latin caedo (“cut, kill”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.