precision

The quality of being very exact and careful.

• She cut the paper with precision.
• The dancers moved with remarkable precision.
• His instructions lacked precision.

How to use it: with precision (She described the procedure with precision.); precision in something (Precision in timing is essential for this performance.)

Similar words: exactness, accuracy

Opposites: imprecision

Common phrases: great precision, with precision, precision in something

The ability to get almost the same result when a measurement is repeated.

• Repeated readings showed high precision.
• The test has good precision but poor accuracy.
• We checked the precision of the measurements by repeating them.

Similar words: repeatability, reproducibility

Common phrases: high precision, measurement precision, precision of something

How many digits in a measured number can be trusted.

• The instrument has limited precision.
• Record the value with a precision of three significant figures.
• Rounding the number reduced its precision.

Similar words: numerical precision

Common phrases: measurement precision, decimal precision, precision of something

Designed to measure things very exactly.

• We use precision scales in the laboratory.
• This precision instrument measures tiny changes in pressure.
• The technician checked the precision measuring equipment.

Similar words: high-precision

Common phrases: precision instrument, precision scale, precision measuring equipment