precise
Exact and completely accurate.
precise in a sentence
- Follow the recipe with precise measurements, because one extra spoon of salt ruins the soup.
- A watchmaker must be precise, fitting each tiny cog exactly where it belongs.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to precise?
- Asloppy
- Bvague
- Crough
- Dexact
Show the answer
D: exact. The other three mean the opposite of precise.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to precise?
- Acareful
- Baccurate
- Cexact
- Dvague
Show the answer
D: vague. The other three mean nearly the same as precise.
Words that mean something similar
exact, accurate, careful
Words that mean the opposite
vague, sloppy, rough
Careful: precise is not accurate
Accurate means right. Precise means right down to the last detail. Read why children mix them up.
More words about thinking & learning
- predict: To say what you think will happen in the future.
- prejudice: An unfair opinion about someone, formed without knowing the facts.
- preposterous: So silly that it is hard to believe.
- probe: To explore or examine something carefully to find out more.
- prodigy: A young person who is amazingly talented at something.
- profound: Very deep and full of meaning.
- relevant: Closely connected to what is being talked about.
- resolve: To decide firmly to do something, or to find an answer to a problem.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test