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precise

 
(prĭ-sīs') pronunciation
adj.
  1. Clearly expressed or delineated; definite: The victim gave a precise description of the suspect.
  2. Exact, as in performance, execution, or amount; accurate or correct: a precise measurement; a precise instrument.
  3. Strictly distinguished from others; very: at that precise moment.
  4. Distinct and correct in sound or meaning: precise pronunciation; precise prose.
  5. Conforming strictly to rule or proper form: "The setting up of this Maypole was a lamentable spectacle to the precise separatists that lived at New Plymouth" (Thomas Morton).

[Middle English, exact, from Old French precis, condensed, precisely fixed, from Latin praecīsus, past participle of praecīdere, to shorten : prae-, pre- + caedere, to cut.]

preciseness pre·cise'ness n.

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Fowler's Modern English Usage:

preciseness, precision

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Both words have the same general meaning 'the condition of being precise, accuracy', but precision is the more natural choice and is used in attributive position (before other nouns) as in precision bombing, precision timing, etc.

Previous:precipitate, precipitous, preciosity, preciousness, precedence, precedent
Next:predicate, predominantly, predominately, prefer
Roget's Thesaurus:

precise

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adjective

  1. Clearly, fully, and sometimes emphatically expressed: categorical, clear, clear-cut, decided, definite, explicit, express, positive, specific, unambiguous, unequivocal. See clear/unclear.
  2. Having no errors: accurate, correct, errorless, exact, right, rigorous. See correct/incorrect, true/false.
  3. Conforming to fact: accurate, correct, exact, faithful, right, rigorous, true, veracious, veridical. See correct/incorrect, honest/dishonest, real/imaginary, true/false.
  4. Strictly distinguished from others: exact, very. See precise/imprecise.
  5. Marked by excessive concern for propriety and good form: bluenosed, genteel, old-maidish, priggish, prim, prissy, proper, prudish, puritanical, strait-laced, stuffy, Victorian. Idioms: prim and proper. See plain/fancy.


adj

Definition: exact, accurate
Antonyms: ambiguous, false, imprecise, inaccurate, inexact, questionable

adj

Definition: meticulous, fastidious
Antonyms: careless, imprecise, inaccurate, loose, negligent, slipshod

Word Tutor:

precise

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: Exact, accurate or delimited.

pronunciation We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. — James Boswell (1740-1795)

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'precise'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to precise, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Precise.
Translations:

Precise

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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - præcis, korrekt

Nederlands (Dutch)
precies, nauwkeurig, secuur, juist

Français (French)
adj. - précis, méticuleux

Deutsch (German)
adj. - präzise, genau

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - ακριβής, επακριβής, ορισμένος, συγκεκριμένος, ακριβολόγος, τυπικός, λεπτολόγος

Italiano (Italian)
preciso, esatto

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - preciso, exato

Русский (Russian)
точный, верный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - preciso, exacto, puntual

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - exakt, bestämd, petig

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
精确的, 明白的, 严谨的

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 精確的, 明白的, 嚴謹的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 정밀한, 정확한

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 正確な, 精密な, ちょうどの, 寸分違わぬ, 厳格な

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) دقيق‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮מדוייק, דייקן, נוקדן‬


 
 

 

Copyrights:

American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
 Fowler's Modern English Usage. Oxford University Press. © 1999, 2004 All rights reserved.  Read more
Roget's Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Antonyms by Answers.com. © 1999-present by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; sign up free Read more
Random House Word Menu. © 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier. Write Brothers Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
 Rhymes. Oxford University Press. © 2006, 2007 All rights reserved.  Read more
Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary. Collins Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary © Anne Bradford, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008 HarperCollins Publishers All rights reserved.  Read more
Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more

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