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View synonyms for

exactly

[ ig-zakt-lee ]

adverb

  1. in an exact manner; precisely; accurately.
  2. in every respect; just:

    He will do exactly what he wants.

  3. quite so; that's right.


exactly

/ ɪɡˈæٱɪ /

adverb

  1. in an exact manner; accurately or precisely
  2. in every respect; just

    it is exactly what I want

  3. not exactly ironic.
    not at all; by no means
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

sentence substitute

  1. just so! precisely!
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of exactly1

First recorded in 1525–35; exact + -ly
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. not exactly, Informal.
    1. in no way; not at all:

      It’s not exactly funny, is it?

    2. not completely so, but nearly so:

      The burgers are not exactly raw, but they need more cooking.

    3. (as an ironic response) no:

      “Is that the jacket you ordered?” “Not exactly.”

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

While Doge may have cut a significant amount of government spending, the lack of evidence provided for its biggest claimed savings makes it impossible to independently confirm exactly how much.

From

“It’s exactly the debate they want, because they don’t want this debate on the tariffs.”

From

"The end is the World Cup and I know exactly what Holly can do, so that equation is clear, but I don't know what Zoe Harrison can do or Helena Rowland," Mitchell added.

From

It’s unclear exactly why children are staying for longer and why, but some researchers believe it is directly related to the administration’s stricter policy.

From

Indonesia is on an ambitious mission to offer free meals to 80 million school children - but that hasn't exactly gone according to plan.

From

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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.

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