Imprécis

Imprécis is a French adjective meaning imprecise, vague, or not exact. It describes statements, descriptions, data, measurements, or conclusions that lack detail, clarity, or specificity. The term is typically used to signal that further definition or refinement is needed to avoid ambiguity. The masculine singular form is imprécis; the feminine singular is imprécise; the masculine plural is imprécis and the feminine plural is imprécises. The related noun is imprécision (imprecision), and the adverb can be imprécisément.

Etymology and usage notes: imprécis is formed with the negative prefix in- attached to précis, the opposite of precise. In French, the word is common in everyday language, journalism, and academic writing when a statement or measurement does not meet a required standard of exactness. It can apply to vague descriptions, uncertain data, ambiguous arguments, or loosely defined criteria.

Examples of use: Des chiffres imprécis (imprecise figures); une description imprécise (an imprecise description); un raisonnement imprécis (an imprecise argument). In contrast, the opposite term is précis (precise, exact).

Relationship to English: English speakers may encounter imprécis mainly in bilingual or academic French contexts. The standard English equivalents are imprecise or imprecision, depending on the grammatical function.

See also: précision, précis, imprécision, vagueness, ambiguity, uncertainty.