Inaccurate means containing errors or not matching the truth. When information is inaccurate, it's wrong in some way, even if the mistake wasn't intentional.

If you tell someone your school starts at 8:30 when it actually starts at 8:15, you've given them inaccurate information. They might arrive late because your facts were off. An inaccurate map might show a park in the wrong location, leading hikers astray. A clock running five minutes slow gives an inaccurate time.

The word describes mistakes in facts, measurements, or descriptions. A ruler with worn markings might give inaccurate measurements. A weather forecast predicting sunshine when rain arrives is inaccurate. Historical accounts can be inaccurate if the writer misunderstood what happened or relied on faulty sources.

Inaccurate is different from deliberately lying. Someone can be inaccurate by accident, through carelessness, or because they didn't know better. A student who miscalculates an answer gives an inaccurate result, but they weren't trying to deceive anyone. Still, inaccurate information causes problems whether the mistakes were intentional or not, which is why scientists, engineers, and careful thinkers work hard to make their facts and measurements as accurate as possible.