Definition of precisenext
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as in exact
being neither more nor less than a certain amount, number, or extent gave him the precise amount that he owed him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word precise different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of precise are accurate, correct, exact, nice, and right. While all these words mean "conforming to fact, standard, or truth," precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation.

precise calibration

When would accurate be a good substitute for precise?

The words accurate and precise are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care.

an accurate description

In what contexts can correct take the place of precise?

Although the words correct and precise have much in common, correct usually implies freedom from fault or error.

correct answers
socially correct dress

When is it sensible to use exact instead of precise?

In some situations, the words exact and precise are roughly equivalent. However, exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth.

exact measurements

When could nice be used to replace precise?

The synonyms nice and precise are sometimes interchangeable, but nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination.

makes nice distinctions

How do right and correct relate to one another, in the sense of precise?

Right is close to correct but has a stronger positive emphasis on conformity to fact or truth rather than mere absence of error or fault.

the right thing to do

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of precise In the tradition of the intuitionist mathematician calculating larger or more precise numbers with time and effort, Gisin allows for more and more information to be created. Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026 The transponders can provide air traffic controllers with more precise information about the vehicles and their locations by constantly sending signals to the control tower. Bruce Shipkowski, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026 GHGSat can zoom in on a sprawling refinery or other facility and pinpoint the precise loading dock or pipe array where the emission originates, allowing technicians to quickly deploy solutions to shut down the leak. Time Contributors, Time, 29 Apr. 2026 Several of them were used to fire at precise milliseconds to trigger the explosion and launch the spacecraft. CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for precise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precise
Adjective
  • While both weight and waist circumference can indicate health, waist circumference is more accurate.
    Cory Martin, Verywell Health, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Prices and availability are accurate as of the time of publication and are subject to change without notice.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • If tracking and the dizzying pace of advance ticket sales are correct, 20th Century’s Prada 2 will earn nearly $200 million in its global debut alone.
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2026
  • If Tenev’s predictions are correct, though, crypto is likely to contribute to Robinhood’s growth in a significant but different manner.
    Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The exact reasons are often left vague, and the successors to be determined, but people are leaving.
    Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
  • The exact number of beds that will be added has yet to be determined.
    Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The Moon moves through your 1st House of Identity, bringing focus back to what’s true for you.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
  • While that’s still true, some of these rising players are feeling the pain of fickle production, too.
    Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The focal point of Monday's case is the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable searches of people, their homes, papers, and effects, unless police obtain a warrant issued by a neutral magistrate, and aimed at obtaining specific evidence of a crime.
    Nina Totenberg, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Supima now uses isotopic profiling, which is a method that analyzes the naturally occurring trace elements in a fiber to verify its specific point of origin.
    Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The Charter then states the need for an elimination of patents that protect software, medical diagnoses, computer code, educational methods, and other protections of mathematical and scientific processes.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
  • But experts have warned that these problems are an imperfect benchmark of artificial intelligence’s mathematical prowess.
    Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Kirsten Kelly-Vargas and her husband, Gary, felt a similar urgency to acquire the proper attire for the occasion.
    Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
  • Ashlyn Needham wrote in Southern Living that proper hanging matters more than people realize.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • This kind of formation happens best through authentic relationships, which is why grandparents matter now more than ever.
    Peter Folan, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Dark rum adds authentic flavor to these bars inspired by the cocktail.
    Jenavieve Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Precise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precise. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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