[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/imprecise/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [I](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/i/) / imprecise

# imprecise

adjective (imprecise, more imprecise); noun «imprecision»

«imprecise» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Not exact or accurate; rough or vague. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprecise/#m1)
2. Not clearly expressed: imprecise instructions. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprecise/#m2)

### 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprecise/#x1)
- «About a hundred» is an imprecise answer; the exact answer is 97. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprecise/#x2)
- The instructions were imprecise, so we built the model wrong. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprecise/#x3)
- Old maps were imprecise about the size of countries. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprecise/#x4)
- Use a ruler; guessing is too imprecise. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprecise/#x5)
- His description of the thief was imprecise. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprecise/#x6)

### 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.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «imprecise» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/imprecise/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«imprecise» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/imprecise.html) on Mova free.