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Health & Fitness

Precision Without Accuracy Has Relative Value!

Precision Without Accuracy Has Relative Value!

Since language is continually evolving, any change in usage or the meaning of words and phrases is a snapshot of current style and content of our language. Similar to an sculptor changing the appearance of a statue moment-to-moment by repeated manipulation, we change our language through regular evolutionary usage. Our language is truly a work-in-progress.

An example of the evolution of our English language is the popular common trend to use 'accuracy' and 'precision' interchangeably in all cases. If we examine both words and their connotations, we find some cases where their meanings are similar and some different and divergent. Perhaps in time they will be completely interchangeable, but one of the simple dictionary definitions of 'accuracy' is: degree of conformity of a measure to a standard or a true value. And 'precision' is defined: mechanical or scientific exactness.

'Accuracy' is listed as a synonym of 'precision', but we all must take the connotation of each word into account; accuracy and precision can describe the similar results if an archer places all of the arrows in or near the bullseye of the target; but if the archer places all the arrows in a tight cluster far from the bullseye, the shooter's pattern demonstrates precision but not accuracy; the shooter's results were reproducible (relatively close) but not accurate.

A mnemonic I use to recall this difference between accuracy and precision is the expression: Precision without accuracy has relative value. Time and usage will determine whether these two words will become completely interchangeable or will continue to require a distinction with a difference in certain cases.



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