precise

adjective pre·cise \ pri-ˈsīs \

Updated on: 3 Dec 2017

Definition of precise

1 : exactly or sharply defined or stated

2 : minutely exact

3 : strictly conforming to a pattern, standard, or convention

4 : distinguished from every other

at just that precise moment

—

preciseness

noun

See precise defined for English-language learners

See precise defined for kids

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 of precise from the Web

Particularly with the capsules and tinctures, people can get a precise amount of THC and/or CBD, which allows them more control over their experience.

— theorem cannabis, The Seattle Times, "It’s legal, now what? A beginner’s guide to cannabis," 18 Sep. 2017
The precise number of dead and wounded has not been confirmed, but officials have reported as many as 28 dead and 30 wounded.

— chas danner, Daily Intelligencer, "More Then 20 Dead After Mass Shooting at South Texas Church," 5 Nov. 2017
But the fact that these particular trial balloons popped loudly is also a good reminder not to make too much just yet of any of the changes that are under discussion, or the precise figures behind them.

— ron lieber, New York Times, "Why It’s Too Soon to Predict What the Tax Changes Will Mean for You," 2 Nov. 2017
She, Cruz-Atienza, and Ito will deploy the wave glider, which will determine the precise position of a point on the sea floor using data transmitted by sonar from the sensors plus positional information from GPS satellites.

— lizzie wade, Science | AAAS, "Underwater network hunts for mysterious slow quakes," 1 Nov. 2017
Costs could run in the hundreds of millions of dollars, with a precise figure depending on pipeline routes and technology yet to be decided.

— kevin spear, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Central Florida's future of water focuses on remote reservoir with contentious past," 27 Oct. 2017
Requirements for journalists, and especially photographers, are particularly precise and outlined in a three-page document that includes a full page of additional regulations set by special branch police.

— Washington Post, "Funeral for Thai king a 5-day marathon of intense solemnity," 25 Oct. 2017
Rather than providing a single, precise and accurate answer, as a classical computer does, a quantum computer must run a calculation hundreds of times, with an average used to arrive at a final answer.

— jeremy kahn, Bloomberg.com, "IBM Makes Breakthrough in Race to Commercialize Quantum Computers," 13 Sep. 2017
Has age, then, become a relative statement, no longer fixed but fluid, no longer precise and concrete but changeable, even irrelevant?

— aleksandra crapanzano, Marie Claire, "Frozen in Time," 20 Dec. 2012

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'precise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.