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.
We can predict the conditions that will lead to these fires, but we won't know exactly where they are.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
When the researchers compared participants' descriptions of waking life with their dream reports, they found that the brain did not appear to reproduce daily experiences exactly as they happened.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
And what Washington reaches for at exactly this moment is nearly gone.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
"His genius was the ability to interview you as if he was just being curious, but actually he had researched you... he knew exactly where he wanted to take you."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Just then, you reminded me exactly of my great-uncle.”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
