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.
Clarity is exactly what Sophy Romvari seeks in her brilliant debut, “Blue Heron,” though it’s not as easy to see that.
From Salon • May 25, 2026
Taylor has turned his AI chatbot memory off, so that he knows exactly what’s shaping how it responds to him.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
It is exactly the type of car that fuelled the dreams of local motorsport fans at the nearby Bishopscourt and Kirkistown circuits.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
Since then, scientists have tried to understand exactly how angular momentum spreads through the internal structure of solids.
From Science Daily • May 24, 2026
It was exactly the kind of progress he was hungry for.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
