# precise

Pronunciation: US say "pri-SYS" /pɹɪˈsaɪs/; UK

## Adjective

1. Exact and accurate; correct down to the smallest detail.
   - Simple: Exact and correct, with no mistakes or guessing.
   - _The surgeon made a precise incision just below the rib._
   - _Engineers rely on precise measurements when building a suspension bridge._
2. Giving consistent results that cluster closely together, whether or not those results land near the true value.
   - Simple: Giving very similar results each time, even if those results are not correct.
   - _The instrument proved precise, returning nearly identical readings across twenty trials._
   - _A precise thermometer may still be miscalibrated, giving consistent but incorrect temperatures._
3. Overly strict in adhering to rules; prim or punctilious in manner.
   - Simple: Following rules so strictly that a person seems stiff or fussy.
   - _The old clerk was precise to a fault, correcting every minor breach of etiquette._
   - _His precise insistence on proper form irritated the more easygoing members._

## Verb

4. To make something exact by specifying it clearly and in full. *(nonstandard)*
   - Simple: To make something exact by giving clear, detailed terms.
   - _The regulation must precise the conditions under which aid may be granted._
   - _The drafters precise each obligation to remove any ambiguity._

## Origin

From Middle French précis, from Latin praecisus, the past participle of praecīdere, formed from prae- ("before, in front") plus caedere ("to cut, strike"). It is related to "incise" and is a doublet of "précis."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/precise (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).