Etymologically
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accuracy

Etymology and origin of the English word accuracy

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1644
Ultimate origin
Latin (cura)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈak.jʊ.ɹə.si/, /ˈak.jə.ɹə.si/ (UK); /ˈæk.jɚ.ə.si/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from accurate and the suffix -acy.[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The state of being exact or precise: 1644 in MWU, 1662 in the OED, the 1660s in Etymonline.[3][5][2]

Semantic evolution

Conformity to truth or to a standard is part of the earliest sense.[2][5] In science, accuracy is the degree of agreement between a measured value and the true value, distinct from precision.[6][4]

Timeline

  • 1644 – first known use (MWU).[3]
  • 1662 – precision, exactness (OED).[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The quality of being correct, exact or true.
  2. The ability to hit a target or perform without error: shooting accuracy.
  3. (science) The closeness of a measurement to the true value.

Word family

  • hyperaccuracy

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Accuracy.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/accuracy. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·