accurately

American  

[ak-yer-it-lee] / ˈæk jər ɪt li /

adverb

1. in a way that is free from error or defect and consistent with a standard, rule, or model.

   She worked on aircraft before they left on missions; the work needed to be done fast and accurately to ensure safety on all flights.

2. correctly; precisely.

   He’s a good lacrosse player; he passes well and can shoot accurately.

   Humans are generally afraid of death—or, more accurately, don't want to die.

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Other Word Forms

• hyperaccurately
  adverb
• superaccurately
  adverb
• unaccurately
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of accurately

accurate ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

Anything done accurately is done correctly or with very few mistakes. Many things should be performed accurately, especially brain surgery. When you're accurate, you're precise: you get things right. To do something accurately is to do it in a precise, correct, careful manner. A baseball player with a good batting average hits the ball accurately. An accountant who never makes mistakes juggles the numbers accurately. If you got 100 on a test, you performed accurately. The opposite of this word is inaccurately, which means you did something wrong, incorrectly, or with a lot of mistakes.

Example Sentences

The question of who's selling the most sportswear is something we can't accurately measure just yet.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

But maybe that was simply too normal, too accurately descriptive to be written by a gay guy.

From Salon • Jun. 18, 2026

Failing to accurately size up the candidate’s skills or fit with the company’s culture were the biggest reasons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

Scientists cannot accurately describe what happens under such conditions.

From Science Daily • Jun. 14, 2026

Most often what I failed to do was accurately anticipate his next moves.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Related Words

• exactly
• meticulously
• precisely