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Synonyms

exactly

American  
[ig-zakt-lee] / ɪgˈzækt li /

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.

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.”
exactly British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

  1. just so! precisely!

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of exactly

First recorded in 1525–35; exact + -ly

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.

So I will do exactly the same and maybe three times in a row it will happen.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

The move doesn’t exactly contribute to the idea of parity.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Still, the shares aren’t exactly cheap, changing hands for 25 times expected earnings to Meta’s 18-times multiple.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

"We question everything. We may never know exactly how we began, but we can try our best to understand how things might have occurred."

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

His tone of voice is exactly how we would normally talk with each other.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

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.