imprecise

Everyday

1. Not exact or accurate; rough or vague. tree →
2. Not clearly expressed: imprecise instructions. tree →

In the lessons

In maths and science, an imprecise measurement is not exact enough (measuring a pencil with steps, not a ruler). Estimates are imprecise on purpose. In writing, imprecise instructions confuse the reader. Phrases: imprecise measurement, imprecise language, rather imprecise.

Examples

• Measuring with your hand span is imprecise. tree →
• «About a hundred» is an imprecise answer; the exact answer is 97. tree →
• The instructions were imprecise, so we built the model wrong. tree →
• Old maps were imprecise about the size of countries. tree →
• Use a ruler; guessing is too imprecise. tree →
• His description of the thief was imprecise. tree →

Note

Opposite: «precise». In maths, precise means exact detail (3.14159) and accurate means close to the true value; an imprecise answer can still be roughly right (π ≈ 3). Estimates and rounding make numbers deliberately imprecise.