precise

adjective

pre·​cise pri-ˈsīs How to pronounce precise (audio)
Synonyms of precise
1
: exactly or sharply defined or stated
a precise explanation
2
: minutely exact
precise measurements
3
: strictly conforming to a pattern, standard, or convention
4
: distinguished from every other
at just that precise moment
preciseness noun

Synonyms of precise

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for precise

correct, accurate, exact, precise, nice, right mean conforming to fact, standard, or truth.

correct usually implies freedom from fault or error.

correct answers
socially correct dress

accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care.

an accurate description

exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth.

exact measurements

precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation.

precise calibration

nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination.

makes nice distinctions

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

Examples of precise in a Sentence

Be sure to take precise measurements before you cut the cloth. The dating of very old materials has become more precise with new instruments. The word has a very precise meaning. Can you find a more precise term than “good” to describe the movie? Could you be a little more precise about what happened? She is very precise in her work.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Seattle equalized in the 50th minute when Sally Menti collected a precise pass from Mia Fishel and fired past goalkeeper Angelina Anderson. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 For example, Galileo observed that the moon was not perfectly spherical in 1610, allowing for a more precise prediction of where the natural satellite’s shadow will fall during an eclipse. — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 The Court’s oral arguments have precise protocols, but none of them governed where a President should sit in the courtroom, because no President had ever done such a thing. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Not even two years later in 2026 — the precise timing is subject to debate among analysts — the 3-terawatt threshold was reached. — Akshat Rathi, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for precise

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French precis, from Latin praecisus, past participle of praecidere to cut off, from prae- + caedere to cut

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of precise was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing precise

Rhymes for precise

See All Rhymes for precise

Browse Nearby Words

précis
precise
precisely
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Precise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precise. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

precise

adjective
pre·​cise pri-ˈsīs How to pronounce precise (audio)
1
: exactly or sharply explained or stated
2
: very exact
precise scales
the precise time
3
: agreeing exactly with a rule or standard
precisely adverb
preciseness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on precise

Nglish: Translation of precise for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All