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.
What we need in this new AI ecosystem is the ability to create trust and to have some sort of understanding and authenticity, and this does exactly the opposite.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026
It’s still not exactly known whether there’s a link between the two, as reports this week indicated.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 9, 2026
Which is exactly what he did when France won that very situation occurred in the 70th minute.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026
"I remember him finding everything funny, exactly as he comes across on TV, that's what he was like, very warm, very friendly and laughed at everything."
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2026
I couldn’t tell her exactly what I was doing, but I needed her to cover for me when I sneaked out of the house.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
