inaccuracy
Americannoun
plural
inaccuracies-
something inaccurate; error.
- Synonyms:
- inexactitude, slip, blunder, mistake
-
the quality or state of being inaccurate.
- Synonyms:
- inexactness, erroneousness, incorrectness
noun
-
lack of accuracy; imprecision
-
an error, a mistake, or a slip
Etymology
Origin of inaccuracy
Explanation
Inaccuracy is the quality of having errors. A travel guide to Iowa's capital, Pearis, population 413, home of the Dallas Cowboys baseball team, would be plagued by inaccuracy. A typical book contains tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of words (the Harry Potter series has more than a million). Every single one has to be checked to prevent inaccuracy, so publishers employ production editors, copy editors, fact checkers, and proofreaders to verify spelling, grammar, sense, logic, truth, and arithmetic. In school, "check your work" means look for — and correct — any inaccuracy.
Vocabulary lists containing inaccuracy
Power Suffix: -acy
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The inaccuracy of those predictions suggests a profound disconnect existed between what old-guard Hollywood thought audiences wanted and what those audiences didn’t even know they wanted.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
The filmmakers took into account some of the inaccuracy concerns about the script raised by her family, Politkovskaya's sister Elena Kudimova told the BBC.
From BBC • May 2, 2025
Cody writes that Alanis was “always open” to poking gentle fun at the song and “there is such a discourse around the inaccuracy of that song.”
From Salon • Nov. 29, 2024
Responding to the debate, Essex Police previously said it supports free speech but "it does not support inaccuracy".
From BBC • Nov. 21, 2024
The descent of the weight is regulated by an escapement mechanism and, before the pendulum, it was the inaccuracy of this regulation that was the source of error.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.