exact science
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of exact science
First recorded in 1860–65
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Despite the medium’s many scholars and the mathematicians working hard to calculate box office predictions and forecast trends, film is not an exact science.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
To be sure, calculating real interest rates is not an exact science, since they are based on future inflation — and that is something we can only estimate.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 8, 2026
This is not an exact science, but the cumulation of data is what led to the conclusion reached by Stella and many others.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026
The problem is that tax withholding isn’t an exact science, and it doesn’t account for all of the latest tax law changes or fluctuating factors, such as freelance income, investment income and charitable donations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
“Ours is not an exact science, but we do what we can do.”
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
