exactly

adverb

ex·​act·​ly ig-ˈzak-(t)lē 

1

a

: in a manner or measure or to a degree or number that strictly conforms to a fact or condition

it's exactly 3 o'clock

these two pieces are exactly the same size

b

: in every respect : altogether, entirely

that was exactly the wrong thing to do

not exactly what I had in mind

2

: quite so

—used to express agreement

Synonyms

• due
• full
• just
• precisely
• right
• sharp
• smack-dab
• squarely

Examples of exactly in a Sentence

The levers need to be exactly positioned.

we will meet at exactly six o'clock

Recent Examples on the Web

That is exactly what Danielle Gronich and Kayleigh Christina, the cofounders of ClearStem, set out to discover. —WWD, 2 July 2024

This is pretty much exactly the same Surface design that Microsoft has been using since the Surface Pro X and the Surface Pro 8 (which, yes, still means this thing doesn't have a headphone jack). —Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 2 July 2024

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Paul Reiser and Kevin Bacon also star in the movie, which comes almost exactly 40 years after the original hit theaters, and 30 years since the last installment. —Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 2 July 2024

There’s an eye toward: What exactly is the need here? —Maya Singer, Vogue, 1 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

exact entry 2 + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing exactly

• my sentiments exactly
• not exactly

Kids Definition

exactly

adverb

ex·​act·​ly ig-ˈzak-(t)lē 

1

a

: in an exact manner

do exactly as you're told

b

: so as to match fact or a state

at exactly three o'clock

exactly the same size

c

: in every way : altogether

that was exactly the wrong thing to do

not exactly what I had in mind

2

: quite so : just as you say

—used to express agreement