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. not exactly ironic.
   not exactly not at all; by no means

sentence substitute

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, Informal.
   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

One look at that card, and anyone who has lived through a year of the pandemic knows exactly what Hallmark is trying to say.

From Vox

Pathi says no one outside of Bezos’s inner circle knows who that is exactly.

From Outside Online

Without knowing exactly who received the messages, the researchers were able to model whether the app was making a difference.

From MIT Technology Review

When asked by journalists, representatives from helmet companies readily admit that, but it’s not exactly a highlight of marketing materials.

From Outside Online

This month, we present some classical puzzles that do exactly that.

From Quanta Magazine

Meanwhile, almost exactly 30 years after the trial, the judge left his home to board a steamboat and was never heard from again.

From The Daily Beast

A grand juror in the Ferguson case is suing to be able to explain exactly what went down in the courtroom.

From The Daily Beast

Even though clerks in Virginia, Colorado, Utah, and other states have been doing exactly that.

From The Daily Beast

In my four years of college, I know exactly one woman who has asked a man out on a date.

From The Daily Beast

A peacemaker is also exactly how Police Commissioner William Bratton sees himself.

From The Daily Beast

He is simply hearing every tone, knowing exactly what effect he wishes to produce and how to do it.

From Project Gutenberg

He is what the bill wishes to make for us, a regular root doctor, and will suit the place exactly.

From Project Gutenberg

I don't exactly see how I could have been, considering I never made a rhyme in my life!

From Project Gutenberg

A child, under exactly similar circumstances as far as its knowledge goes, cannot very well curse God and die.

From Project Gutenberg

I understand their point of view, exactly, but I'm not here to play the social game, and I shall talk to whom it pleases me.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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