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Showing results for inaccuracy. Search instead for Inaccuracies.
Synonyms

inaccuracy

American  
[in-ak-yer-uh-see] / ɪnˈæk yər ə si /

noun

plural

inaccuracies
  1. something inaccurate; error.

    Synonyms:
    inexactitude, slip, blunder, mistake
  2. the quality or state of being inaccurate.

    Synonyms:
    inexactness, erroneousness, incorrectness

inaccuracy British  
/ ɪnˈækjʊrəsɪ /

noun

  1. lack of accuracy; imprecision

  2. an error, a mistake, or a slip

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of inaccuracy

First recorded in 1750–60; in- 3 + accuracy

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing inaccuracy

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