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.
So what exactly did happen in that dramatic finale?
From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026
What, for instance, are the odds that the two principal architects of the Declaration of Independence would both die on the Fourth of July, exactly 50 years after the Second Continental Congress adopted the document?
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
That’s exactly why the yen remains “such a powerful but dangerous funding currency,” said Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026
Celenza says Struggle Meals is made to combat exactly that.
From Salon • Jul. 2, 2026
“And you did it exactly right, Corrie? In every detail?”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
