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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.

That's exactly the moment when you have to work even harder, train more, sleep well, eat better, and above all keep dreaming.

From

It was PSG who made it happen - and made it happen exactly in the manner Rice so clearly feared.

From

They have a plan to do exactly that.

From

“I am not a man exactly like that.”

From

Baker said it’s unclear how to determine exactly which inmates were affected.

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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