exactly

[ig-zakt-lee]

adverb

1. in an exact manner; precisely; accurately.

2. in every respect; just.

   He will do exactly what he wants.

3. quite so; that's right.

exactly

/ ɪɡˈzæktlɪ /

adverb

1. in an exact manner; accurately or precisely

2. in every respect; just

   it is exactly what I want

3. ironic,  not at all; by no means

1. just so! precisely!

Word History and Origins

Origin of exactly¹

First recorded in 1525–35; exact + -ly

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. not exactly,

   1. in no way; not at all.

      It’s not exactly funny, is it?

   2. not completely so, but nearly so.

      The burgers are not exactly raw, but they need more cooking.

   3. (as an ironic response) no.

      “Is that the jacket you ordered?” “Not exactly.”

Example Sentences

Authorities are working with families gathered at the scene of the disaster to try to determine exactly how many people still need to be found.

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That changes here, and in exactly the same way that we beat Liverpool in April.

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Then she knew exactly where it needed to go.

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It remains unclear exactly what he means by this.

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The safety car came out when there were exactly 50 laps left.

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Related Words

• absolutely 
• altogether 
• carefully 
• completely 
• correctly www.thesaurus.com
• definitely 
• explicitly 
• indeed 
• literally 
• precisely 
• quite 
• specifically 
• strictly 
• totally 
• truly