accurate English · revision 4466

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1612|origins=la accurare}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈæk.jə.rət/, US /ˈæk.jɚ.ət/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|accūrātus|t=prepared with care, exact]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) past participle of accūrāre “to take care of, do carefully”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from ad- “to” and cūrāre “to take care of”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(NODE 1998) from cūra “care”, the source of [[cure]].^(Hoad 1986)^(Barnhart 1988) It is related to [[curate]].^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Of things and persons, exact and correct as the result of care: 1612 in the OED and Barnhart,^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988) the 1610s in Etymonline, which gives “done with care”.^(Etymonline) The general sense “careful” (1621) is obsolete.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Latin the word was used only of things, but English extended it to persons.^(OED 1989) The notion of doing something carefully led to that of being precise, without reference to care, by the 1650s (1651 in the OED).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) Etymonline calls it a stronger word than [[correct]] and weaker than [[exact]].^(Etymonline) ''Accuracy'' is from 1662.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1612 – exact as a result of care.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1621 – careful (obsolete).^(OED 1989)

+ * 1651 – exact, precise.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1662 – ''accuracy''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Free from [[error]], conforming exactly to [[fact]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Within acceptable limits of a standard; [[precise]].^(AHD)

+ # Able to give a correct reading or result, or to hit a target: ''an accurate scale'', ''an accurate throw''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[accurately]]

+ * [[accurateness]]

+ * [[accurize]]

+ * [[hyperaccurate]]

+ * [[superaccurate]]

+ * [[unaccurate]]

+ * [[accuracy]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cure]]

+ * [[curate]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}