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. ironic,  not at all; by no means

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,

   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

The Fed meets at the end of October at exactly the time when its decision-driving inputs are probably most disrupted.

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I am exactly who I want to be with no reservations.

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Your ability to make the case for Canadian energy while simultaneously explaining why most investors are too scared to touch it is exactly why I read your column.

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It was a smart, strategic move — exactly the kind of foresight public health leadership requires.

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"We don't have a lot of visibility on what exactly has been agreed on yet, but we will do everything we can," said Shaina Low, NRC spokeswoman.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

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