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exactly

/ɛgˈzæktli/
/ɛgˈzæktli/
IPA guide

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.

Definitions of exactly
  1. adverb
    indicating exactness or preciseness
    “he was doing precisely (or exactly) what she had told him to do”
    synonyms: just, precisely
  2. adverb
    in a precise manner
    synonyms: incisively, precisely
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    inexactly
    in an imprecise manner
  3. adverb
    just as it should be
Pronunciation
US
/ɛgˈzæktli/
UK
/ɛgˈzæktli/
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