What is precision in classification?

Updated May 15, 2026

Short answer

Precision measures how many predicted positives are actually correct.

Deep explanation

Precision = TP / (TP + FP). It focuses on reducing false positives.

Real-world example

In spam detection, precision ensures fewer legitimate emails are marked spam.

Common mistakes

  • Ignoring recall when precision is high.

Follow-up questions

  • When is precision more important than recall?

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