Skip to content
AI360Xpert
Glossary
Definition

Precision

A classification metric that measures the proportion of true positive predictions out of all the positive predictions a machine learning model actually made.

Think of It Like This

Like a sniper's accuracy metric: out of all the shots they actually took, what percentage successfully hit the intended target?

Precision is the metric of choice when the cost of a false positive is extremely high. For example, a spam filter blocking a crucial work email is unacceptable, so the filter must be highly precise. It is almost always evaluated in direct tension with Recall, as maximizing one naturally degrades the other.

What to Read Next