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.
But it was precisely that challenge that helped shape Diogo into the player he went on to become.
From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026
The internet is awash with AI-powered face-swapping technology and a new generation of motion-control tools capable of producing highly realistic videos, allowing users to precisely manipulate a person's movements and facial expressions in real time.
From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026
Together, these improvements help us measure the Hubble constant more precisely than ever before using gravitational waves, bringing us closer to understanding one of modern physics' most important open questions.
From Science Daily • Jul. 2, 2026
Which is precisely why it is so difficult to read what comes next.
From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026
The casting process meant that no two metal letters were ever precisely the same, even before wear and tear.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
