exactly
Americanadverb
-
in an exact manner; precisely; accurately.
-
in every respect; just.
He will do exactly what he wants.
-
quite so; that's right.
idioms
adverb
-
in an exact manner; accurately or precisely
-
in every respect; just
it is exactly what I want
-
ironic not at all; by no means
Etymology
Origin of exactly
Explanation
Something exactly right is precisely, totally, completely right. This is a word with no fuzziness or wiggle room. Isn't it nice when you know exactly the right word for something? Well, exactly is a word for when you're talking about things that fit perfectly or are unquestionably correct. Ten plus ten is exactly twenty. There are exactly fifty states. An astronomer could tell you exactly how far away the moon is. Exactly is the opposite of approximately or roughly. If you don't know for sure what you're talking about, don't use the word exactly.
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.
Analog Devices’s Shulaker said he’s confident about bringing that time down as the AI model continues learning from the samples it takes in, getting smarter about exactly what it’s looking for.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
“And my response has been, ‘You’re exactly right.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
This group of musicians could do whatever they wanted to and that’s exactly what they did, veering all around the catalog like a Tilt-A-Whirl.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
However, the researchers emphasize that more work is needed to determine exactly how sugar produces the effect and whether dietary changes will improve outcomes in patients.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
How exactly is this conversation supposed to go?
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
