ENGLISH
REFERENCE

accurate

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈækjɝət// UK //ˈækjʊɹət// ac·cu·rate Academic Archaic General-service

adj. correct and true in every detail. You use this when you want to say that information or a measurement has no mistakes.

adj. conforming exactly to truth or to a standard; free from error or defect. Often used to describe data, measurements, or descriptions that represent reality precisely.


SIMPLE

The weather forecast was very accurate today.

CONTEXTUAL

Scientists need to provide accurate data so that the government can make the right decisions about the environment.

COMPLEX

While the historical novel captures the atmosphere of the era, critics noted that it is not entirely accurate regarding the specific dates of the royal succession.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

First attested in the 1610's with the now obsolete sense "done with care", and from the 1650's with the sense "precise, exact". Borrowed from Latin accūrātus (“done with care”), perfect passive participle of accūrō (“take care of”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + cūrō (“take care”), from cūra (“care”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix). Compare English cure.

Usage

Commonly modified by degree adverbs like 'highly', 'remarkably', or 'strictly'.

Pitfall

The clock is very precisionThe clock is very accurateLearners sometimes use the noun 'precision' or the related adjective 'precise' when 'accurate' is the correct term for correctness against a standard.

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