Explain Precision and Recall
Updated May 17, 2026
Short answer
Precision measures correctness of positive predictions; recall measures detection rate.
Deep explanation
Precision focuses on false positives, while recall focuses on false negatives.
Real-world example
Spam filters prioritize precision; disease detection prioritizes recall.
Common mistakes
- Ignoring business impact.
Follow-up questions
- What is F1-score?
- When prioritize recall?