accurate

IPA/ˈækjərət/
KK[ˈækjɚət]IPA/ˈækjərət/

accurate — adjective

  • accuratepositive
  • more accuratecomparative
  • most accuratesuperlative

1. matching the real facts, numbers, or details exactly, with nothing wrong or miss

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

matching the real facts, numbers, or details exactly, with nothing wrong or missing.

Example

Kofi checked the bill twice to make sure every charge was accurate.

be accurate about facts or numbers

The witness gave the police an accurate description of the stolen bicycle.

collocation: accurate description / report

Common collocations
  • highly accurate
  • remarkably accurate
  • an accurate description
  • an accurate account
  • an accurate reflection of
  • historically accurate
  • factually accurate
Synonyms
  • correct

    everyday and broader; 'correct' just means right, while 'accurate' stresses careful agreement with the facts

  • precise

    stresses fine detail and exactness, e.g. exact figures or measurements

  • exact

    emphasises being right down to the smallest detail; stronger than 'accurate'

  • reliable

    of sources or instruments — can be trusted to give accurate results over time

Antonyms
  • inaccurate

    direct opposite — contains errors

  • wrong

    more general; an answer can be wrong without being carelessly inaccurate

  • misleading

    may contain true parts but creates a false overall picture

Grammar Patterns

accurate description / report / measurement

be accurate about + noun

Usage Note

Subject is usually information, a record, or a measuring device — not a person performing a physical action. For physical aim, use sense 2.

Common Mistakes

My answer is accurate to yours.
My answer is the same as yours.
'accurate' is not used to compare two things; it means something matches the real facts.
Priya is very accurate at maths.
Priya is very good at maths.' / 'Priya's answers are very accurate.
describe the work or the result as accurate, not the person's general skill.

2. describing a throw, shot, kick, or weapon that lands exactly where the person wa

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing a throw, shot, kick, or weapon that lands exactly where the person wanted, instead of missing.

Example

Anaya made an accurate pass to the striker, who scored within seconds.

collocation: accurate pass / shot in sport

The young archer's arrows were surprisingly accurate from forty metres away.

predicate use with a distance phrase

Common collocations
  • an accurate shot
  • an accurate throw
  • an accurate pass
  • an accurate kick
  • deadly accurate
Synonyms
  • on target

    informal phrase; describes a shot or throw reaching its intended point

  • precise

    emphasises careful control, e.g. a precise pass into a small space

  • unerring

    literary; suggests aim that almost never misses

Antonyms
  • wide

    a wide shot misses the target to one side, especially in sport

  • off target

    common phrase for a throw or shot that misses

Grammar Patterns

an accurate shot / throw / pass / kick

accurate with + weapon / instrument

Usage Note

Subject is the projectile, throw, or the person aiming it — not the information or the result. Distinguish from sense 1: a report can be accurate (matches facts), but only an action like a shot can be accurate in this physical sense.

Common Mistakes

The football flew accurate into the net.
The football flew accurately into the net.
use the adverb 'accurately' to describe how the action is performed.
She is an accurate runner.
She is a fast runner.' / 'Her shots are accurate.
don't use 'accurate' for general athletic skill; it goes with aiming, not speed.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words say something is right, but they highlight different things. 'Correct' is the most everyday word and simply means not wrong — a correct answer is one that isn't a mistake. 'Accurate' adds the idea of careful agreement with the real facts or numbers, so it suits reports, measurements, and forecasts: 'an accurate weather forecast' fits, but 'a correct weather forecast' sounds odd. 'Precise' focuses on fine detail and small differences; a precise measurement is given to several decimal places. 'Exact' is the strongest of the four, meaning right down to the smallest unit, with nothing approximate. Compare: 'Saoirse gave a correct answer' (not wrong), 'an accurate answer' (matches the facts), 'a precise answer' (with detailed figures), 'the exact answer' (the only right value).

accurate ↗correct ↗precise ↗exact ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • an accurate picture of
  • an accurate reflection of
  • to be accurate to within X percent

Prepositions

  • accurate about (something)
  • accurate to (a level / decimal place)
  • accurate within (a range)

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Borrowed into English in the early 1600s from Latin 'accuratus', meaning 'done with care', the past participle of 'accurare' ('to take care of'), from 'ad-' ('to, towards') and 'cura' ('care'). The earliest English use kept this idea of careful work; only later did the meaning narrow to 'free from error', focusing on the result of that careful work rather than the effort itself.