different between certainty vs precision

English

Etymology

From Middle English certeynte (“surety”), from Anglo-Norman certeinte, from Old French certeinete, from Vulgar Latin *cert?nit?s, from Latin certus.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?s?tn?ti/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s??tn?ti/
• Hyphenation: cer?tain?ty

Noun

certainty (countable and uncountable, plural certainties)

1. The state of being certain.

   Synonyms: certitude, sureness

   Antonyms: doubt, uncertainty

   • October 12, 1786, Fisher Ames, "Lucius Junius Brutus", in Independent Chronicle

     The certainty of punishment is the truest security against crimes.

2. An instance of being certain.
3. A fact or truth unquestionably established.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:sure thing

   • November 2 2014, Daniel Taylor, "Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk

     Yet the truth is that City would probably have been coasting by that point if the referee, Michael Oliver, had not turned down three separate penalties, at least two of which could be accurately described as certainties.

   • 1824, Walter Savage Landor, Imaginary Conversations Volume 1

     Certainties are uninteresting and sating.

Derived terms

• certainty equivalent
• of a certainty

Related terms

• certain

Translations

Further reading

• certainty on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Etymology

From Middle French precision.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p???s?.?(?)n/
• Rhymes: -???n

Noun

precision (countable and uncountable, plural precisions)

1. The state of being precise or exact; exactness.
2. The ability of a measurement to be reproduced consistently.
3. (mathematics) The number of significant digits to which a value may be measured reliably.
4. (bridge) A bidding system that makes use of many artificial bids to describe a hand quite precisely.

Derived terms

• arbitrary-precision

Translations

See also

• accuracy

References

• precision on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Adjective

precision (not comparable)

1. Used for exact or precise measurement.
2. Made, or characterized by accuracy.

Translations

Anagrams

• isoprenic

Middle French

Alternative forms

• précision

Etymology

First known attestation 1380, borrowed from Latin praecisi?.

Noun

precision f (plural precisions)

1. precision (quality of being precise)

References