inexact

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌɪnɪɡˈzækt/ UK /ˌɪnɪɡˈzækt/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
not precise or strictly accurate

His memory of the date was inexact but close enough to check.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not precise or strictly... imprecise approximate inaccurate loose rough vague

Opposites

exact precise accurate

Word family

Derived forms inexactlyinexactnessinexactitude

Related forms exact exactitude

Etymology

From in- ('not') + exact, from Latin exactus ('precise, accurate'), past participle of exigere ('to demand, measure out'), from ex- ('out') + agere ('to drive, do').

exactus Latin agere Latin

View etymology graph ->

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Describing Qualities

# inexact

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˌɪnɪɡˈzækt
**IPA (UK):** ˌɪnɪɡˈzækt

## Meanings
1. not precise or strictly accurate

## Examples
- His memory of the date was inexact but close enough to check.

## Synonyms
- imprecise
- approximate
- inaccurate
- loose
- rough
- vague

## Antonyms
- exact
- precise
- accurate

## Derived Forms
- inexactly
- inexactness
- inexactitude

## Related Forms
- exact
- exactitude

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: exactus
- Root: agere

## Etymology
From in- ('not') + exact, from Latin exactus ('precise, accurate'), past participle of exigere ('to demand, measure out'), from ex- ('out') + agere ('to drive, do').

## AI Etymology
inexact comes from in- ('not') + exact, from Latin exactus ('precise, accurate'), past participle of exigere ('to demand, measure out'), from ex- ('out') + agere ('to drive, do'). Morphologically, the prefixed shape matters: the initial element belongs to the recorded formation and helps explain the modern form's surface analysis. In present English, the adjective sense is "not precise or strictly accurate", so the historical development ends in a clearly identifiable modern dictionary use. The same base also appears in related forms such as exact and exactitude, and in derivatives such as inexactly, inexactness, and inexactitude. Its semantic neighborhood includes imprecise, approximate, inaccurate, and loose, which helps locate the modern sense without adding a separate etymological claim. The named historical forms include Latin exactus and Latin agere.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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