precisely
Britishadverb
Explanation
The adverb precisely describes something done with complete accuracy or perfection. When you speak precisely, you pronounce each word completely and clearly — and you say exactly what you mean. Something that's done precisely is done with great care, the way you'd set the table according to your grandmother's demands, precisely following her instructions about where knives and forks should go. You can also use precisely to tell about an exact time, like meeting a friend under the big clock at precisely 12:30. On its own, precisely can substitute for yes or exactly.
Vocabulary lists containing precisely
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 20–25
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Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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Vocabulary from "Community is the 'killer app' missing from virtual reality" by Dmitri Williams
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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.
That could allow scientists to investigate quantum systems whose behavior cannot yet be calculated precisely, potentially including problems too difficult for classical computers.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
Arguably the damage might be less without all the padding, precisely because then your pain thresholds, and your bone fragility, limit how hard you can reasonably hit other players.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
It was precisely the poisonous legacy of Central Europe’s Long Great War, Mr. Kauffman concludes, that made such violence during the later war possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
It's early on in her career, and Destiny refuses to disclose precisely what she is earning, but says she's already making money.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Slowly, precisely, he marked down angles and distances.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
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.
