accurate
/ˈækjərət/
adjective
Origin
Latin
accuratus — done with care
Overview
Meaning Now
- Correct in all details; exact.
- Capable of or successful in reaching the intended target or result.
Literal older meaning
done with care
Language path
Latin → Middle English → English
Earliest form
accuratus
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The word stems from the Latin 'accurare', which combined 'ad' (to) and 'cura' (care). It entered English in the 16th century, initially describing someone or something performed with great diligence, before shifting to denote a state of correctness or lack of error.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
accuratus
“prepared with care, elaborate”
Past participle of accurare
- 16th-century English
accurate
“done with care, precise”
Introduced as a direct borrowing from Latin during the Renaissance
- Modern English
accurate
“free from error”
Standardized usage for precision
Connections
Word parts
ad-
prefix
to
curare
root
to take care of
Related across languages
French
accurat
accurate
Italian
accurato
accurate/thorough
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.