inexact

[ in-ig-zakt ]

adjective

1. not exact; not strictly precise or accurate.

inexact

/ ˌɪnɪɡˈzækt /

adjective

1. not exact or accurate

Derived Forms

• ˌinexˈactly, adverb
• ˌinexˈactiˌtude, noun

Other Words From

• inex·actly adverb
• inex·actness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of inexact¹

First recorded in 1820–30; in- ³ + exact

Example Sentences

Finding the exact threshold for gumbo weather is an inexact science, but my grandfather pegs it as colder than 50 degrees.

From FiveThirtyEight

They only tracked one week of spending, and I prorated their electricity and power costs, so this is still an inexact calculator.

From Time

Castillo or Swihart do not fit neatly into that inexact formula.

From Washington Post

Danish officials crunching similar data slightly differently estimate that it is 36 percent more contagious in their country, although they say their numbers are still so small that the estimates may be inexact.

From Washington Post

It’s a complicated, inexact process that could be untangled by a few extra doses of transparency.

From Washington Post

Given the nature of the crimes and the climate in which they were committed, the numbers themselves are inexact.

From The Daily Beast

The recipe is inexact; a crazy mix of luck, audacity, and moxie.

From The Daily Beast

The margin of error for the rather inexact dating process was 250 years.

From The Daily Beast

This again is inexact, since there are no precise figures of population that cover the period.

From Project Gutenberg

Now the intensity of a sound indicates its extent only by accident, and therefore in an inexact manner.

From Project Gutenberg

All conclusions which we derive from visual acuteness become very inexact as soon as it is lowered.

From Project Gutenberg

This is only another instance of the singularly inexact and haphazard ways of the Admiralty in those days.

From Project Gutenberg

The conditions which the subtlety of Ming-shu imposed ceased to bind, for their corollary was inexact.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• imprecise