Precise means exact and accurate, with no room for error or vagueness. When you measure something with precision, you get it exactly right: the actual, specific amount. A precise measurement of your height might be 4 feet, 7 and three-quarter inches, rather than “about four and a half feet.”

Scientists need to be precise when conducting experiments, because even tiny differences can matter. If a recipe calls for precisely one teaspoon of baking powder, using two teaspoons might ruin your cake. A surgeon must make precise cuts during an operation. A carpenter needs precise measurements when cutting wood for a bookshelf, or the pieces won't fit together properly.

The word also describes clear, specific communication. When you give precise directions to your house, you say “turn left at the red mailbox on Oak Street,” rather than “turn left somewhere around there.” If your teacher asks what time lunch starts and you answer “precisely at 12:15,” you're being more exact than if you said “around noon.”

Being precise takes care and attention. It's the opposite of being vague, sloppy, or approximate. When precision matters, close enough isn't good enough.