word choice - Are 'accuracy' and 'precision' interchangeable nouns?


The dictionary for accuracy says:




  1. The quality or state of being correct or precise.

  2. The ability to perform a task with precision.



And for precision:




  1. The quality, condition, or fact of being exact and accurate.

  2. Marked by or adapted for accuracy and exactness



Are these nouns interchangeable? If not, how to decide whether to use one or another?



Answer



The Wikipedia article explains the difference in the best way possible:



In the fields of science, engineering, industry and statistics, the accuracy of a measurement system is the degree of closeness of measurements of a quantity to that quantity's actual (true) value. The precision of a measurement system, also called reproducibility or repeatability, is the degree to which repeated measurements under unchanged conditions show the same results. Although the two words can be synonymous in colloquial use, they are deliberately contrasted in the context of the scientific method.



High accuracy, but low precision:


High accuracy, but low precision


High precision, but low accuracy:


High precision, but low accuracy


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