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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. ironicnot 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
  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,

    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.

He says it’s “not exactly harder” to film a oner; “it’s just a very different skill set.”

From

“Even though Sally wasn’t verbally out and definitely not out publicly, she still lived her life exactly the way she wanted to live it,” O’Shaughnessy says.

From

However, she received a further shock in 2023 when the HSE – which investigates serious funfair accidents – confirmed there had been a fatality on exactly the same ride in Australia in 2014.

From

Many of those in Tehran and elsewhere, recall the confusion of Friday: what exactly was happening; how widespread was it; and how could they protect themselves and their families?

From

But it is unclear from the video exactly what that interference is.

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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