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exact science

American  

noun

  1. a science, as chemistry or physics, that deals with quantitatively measurable phenomena of the material universe.


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.

See Examples For:

First, determining your risk tolerance isn’t an exact science.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 10, 2026

Determining the points at which past Fed chairs became lame ducks is not an exact science, needless to say.

From MarketWatch Feb. 19, 2026

While forecasting disease isn’t an exact science, there are some troubling signs.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 20, 2025

"Other thefts are likely unreported and remain unknown as attributing cyber thefts to North Korea is not an exact science."

From BBC Oct. 7, 2025

“Well, ballooning is not an exact science, you know. Besides, you might be needed here.”

From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff

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