Accurate vs Specific - What's the difference?
accurate | specific |
In exact or careful conformity to truth; the result of care or pains; free from failure, error, or defect; exact; as, an accurate'' calculator; an ''accurate'' measure; ''accurate expression, knowledge, etc.
*
Deviating only slightly or within acceptable limits.
(obsolete) Precisely fixed; executed with care; careful.
* Bacon
explicit or definite
(sciences) Pertaining to a species.
*2008 , (Richard Dawkins), The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing , Oxford 2009, p. 3:
*:Science and literature, then, are the two achievements of Homo sapiens that most convincingly justify the specific name.
(taxonomy) pertaining to a taxon at the rank of species
special, distinctive or unique
intended for, or applying to a particular thing
being a remedy for a particular disease
* Coleridge
(immunology) limited to a particular antibody or antigen
(physics) of a value divided by mass (e.g. specific orbital energy)
(physics) similarly referring to a value divided by any measure which acts to standardize it (e.g. thrust specific fuel consumption, referring to fuel consumption divided by thrust)
(physics) a measure compared with a standard reference value by division, to produce a ratio without unit or dimension (e.g. specific refractive index is a pure number, and is relative to that of air)
A distinguishing attribute or quality.
Something particularly adapted for a particular use, as a remedy for a particular disorder
Specification
(in the plural) The details; particulars.
As adjectives the difference between accurate and specific
is that accurate is in exact or careful conformity to truth; the result of care or pains; free from failure, error, or defect; exact; as, an accurate calculator; an accurate measure; accurate expression, knowledge, etc while specific is explicit or definite.As a noun specific is
a distinguishing attribute or quality.accurate
English
Adjective
(en-adj)- For more than 90% of the figures (mostly drawn during 1976-1990), either a scale, or the given magnification, will allow the user to derive accurate measurements, even when these are lacking in the diagnosis.
- Those conceive the celestial bodies have more accurate influences upon these things below.
Usage notes
* We speak of a thing as correct' with reference to some rule or standard of comparison; as, a '''correct''' account, a '''correct''' likeness, a man of ' correct deportment. * We speak of a thing as accurate' with reference to the care bestowed upon its execution, and the increased correctness to be expected therefrom; as, an '''accurate''' statement, an ' accurate detail of particulars. * We speak of a thing as exact' with reference to that perfected state of a thing in which there is no defect and no redundancy; as, an '''exact''' coincidence, the '''exact''' truth, an ' exact likeness. * We speak of a thing as precise' when we think of it as strictly conformed to some rule or model, as if ''cut down'' thereto; as a '''precise''' conformity instructions; '''precisely''' right; he was very ' precise in giving his directions.Synonyms
* correct * exact * just * nice * particularAntonyms
* inaccurateDerived terms
* accuracy * accuratelyAnagrams
* ----specific
English
Alternative forms
* specifick (obsolete)Adjective
(en adjective)- Quinine is a specific medicine in cases of malaria.
- In fact, all medicines will be found specific in the perfection of the science.
