exact
Americanadjective
-
strictly accurate or correct.
an exact likeness; an exact description.
- Antonyms:
- imprecise
-
precise, as opposed to approximate.
the exact sum; the exact date.
- Antonyms:
- imprecise
-
admitting of no deviation, as laws or discipline; strict or rigorous.
-
capable of the greatest precision.
exact instruments.
-
characterized by or using strict accuracy.
an exact thinker.
- Synonyms:
- scrupulous, demanding, punctilious, careful, methodical
-
Mathematics. (of a differential equation) noting that the collection of all terms, equated to zero, is an exact differential.
verb (used with object)
-
exacts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
exacted,
past participle, past
-
exacting
present participle
-
to call for, demand, or require.
to exact respect from one's children.
-
to force or compel the payment, yielding, or performance of.
to exact money; to exact tribute from a conquered people.
- Synonyms:
- wring
adjective
-
correct in every detail; strictly accurate
an exact copy
-
precise, as opposed to approximate; neither more nor less
the exact sum
-
(prenominal) specific; particular
this exact spot
-
operating with very great precision
exact instruments
-
allowing no deviation from a standard; rigorous; strict
an exact mind
-
based mainly on measurement and the formulation of laws, as opposed to description and classification
physics is an exact science
verb
-
to force or compel (payment or performance); extort
to exact tribute
-
to demand as a right; insist upon
to exact respect from one's employees
-
to call for or require
this work exacts careful effort
Synonym Usage
See extract.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
exacternoun
-
exactnessnoun
-
exactornoun
-
exactableadjective
-
nonexactableadjective
-
preexactadjective
-
quasi-exactadjective
-
unexactedadjective
-
quasi-exactlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
exactsimple
-
exactssimple
-
have exactedperfect
-
has exactedperfect
-
am exactingprogressive
-
are exactingprogressive
-
is exactingprogressive
-
have been exactingperfect progressive
-
has been exactingperfect progressive
Past
-
exactedsimple
-
had exactedperfect
-
was exactingprogressive
-
were exactingprogressive
-
had been exactingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of exact
First recorded in 1525–45; late Middle English exacten (verb), from Latin exāctus (past participle of exigere “drive out, thrust out”), equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + ag(ere) “to drive” + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
If something's exact, it's precise and completely accurate — as opposed to a guess, an estimate, or an approximation. Exact also has the meaning of taking something from someone, often money, and generally only given up with reluctance under the threat of force. The Mob might exact a shakedown from unfortunate businessmen, for example. The word comes from the Latin exactus "exact or accurate," a form of the verb exigere — meaning "to force out or demand," like the Mob demanding its money.
Vocabulary lists containing exact
The Merchant of Venice
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Common Core Grade 5, List 7
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"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll, Chapters 1–3
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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.
See Examples For:
Through exact mathematical derivations, they determined how strongly each excited state interacts with the movements of nearby atoms.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
And what he did have was half his lifetime of preparation for this exact moment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
The site, dubbed Onkalo which means "cave" in Finnish, is expected to start operations soon, but Posiva said no exact date had been decided yet.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
Clark Street culinary director Jesse Furman says the trick is finding the exact balance of traditional and new for a historic restaurant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
“That’d be dumb,” I think were her exact words.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
That all-important cold chain exacts a cost from growers and distributors as well.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
Skating as much as Hughes does exacts a brutal toll, which is why it often looks like the Minnesota defenseman has an on/off switch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026
Realistic scenes of a contentious father-daughter relationship, the toll shame exacts on families and a portrait of ‘70s California make the “The Ghostwriter” a page-turning, rewarding read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2025
As Aldrich saw it, the screening inequity had the potential to worsen the already staggering toll that lung cancer exacts in Black communities.
From Salon ● Feb. 3, 2024
Maybe Bastian exacts some final vendetta; maybe Frederick goes looking for his only way out.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
One result is the great financial sacrifice exacted on family members who do take on caregiving roles, not only while they fill this role but thereafter, as well.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Well, there are numerous contemporaneous examples of reparation payments exacted by European states, so you tell me.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
The report defines “forced labor” as “all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty for its nonperformance and for which the worker does not offer himself voluntarily.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
“IBM has effectively exacted change across every major technology computing cycle over the last century,” Woodring explains.
From Barron's ● Dec. 10, 2025
I had long before accepted the fact that education exacted a great price for its equally great benefits.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
The curator’s exacting rule is this: “It must appear as if the person or people have just left the room.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Cefas Endeavour was a technically challenging ship, with exacting specifications for noise and vibration so that it would not disturb fish during survey work.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
“Interiors by Stewart-Gulrajani merge architecture and artistry with exacting precision. Vaulted open-beam ceilings, vast picture windows, and refined finishes infuse each room with air, light, and composure,” the description added.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
The good news is, per Gifford, that there are less generalized models out there that are tailored to much more exacting needs.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
I had learnt her whole character, which was without mystery or disguise: she was coquettish but not heartless; exacting, but not worthlessly selfish.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
