Exactly — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adverb /ig-ˈzak-(t)lē/ ex·act·ly

Meaning & Definition of Exactly

Exactly (adverb)

  1. in a manner or measure or to a degree or number that strictly conforms to a fact or condition
  2. in every respect, altogether, entirely
  3. quite so —used to express agreement

Exactly (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as stated or indicated without the slightest difference

    "we will meet at exactly six o'clock"

    similar: due, full, just, precisely, right, sharp, smack-dab, squarely, on the button, on the nose

  2. in the same manner

    "he wants to be exactly like his father"

    similar: just, precisely, to a T
    related: even, expressly, faultlessly, perfectly, identically, uniformly, alike, likewise, similarly
    near: slightly, somewhat, vaguely, differently, variably

  3. in the same words

    "a plagiarism suit alleging that one historian had copied large segments of another's text exactly"

    similar: ad verbum, directly, verbatim, word for word
    related: accurately, precisely, identically, literally
    opposite: inexactly
    near: basically, essentially, virtually, carelessly, freely, imprecisely, inaccurately, loosely

  4. without any relaxation of standards or precision

    "follow the rules exactly and you won't get into trouble"

    similar: precisely, rigidly, rigorously, strictly
    related: carefully, conscientiously, meticulously, scrupulously
    opposite: imprecisely, inexactly, loosely

  5. to a full extent or degree

    "she listened to the advice, then did exactly what she wanted to anyway"

    similar: all, all of, all over, altogether, clean, completely, dead, enough, entire, entirely, even, fast, flat, full, fully, heartily, out, perfectly, plumb (chiefly dialect), quite, soundly, thoroughly, through and through, totally, utterly, well, wholly, wide, all the way, at length, down the line, down to the ground, for fair, in whole, to bits, to pieces, to the hilt, to the max
    related: absolutely, categorically, cold, downright, hands down, plain, stone, stone-cold, unqualifiedly, basically, by and large, chiefly, generally, largely, mainly, more or less, mostly, overall, predominantly, predominately, primarily, principally, substantially, abundantly, copiously, generously, greatly
    opposite: half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly
    near: barely, hardly, just, kind of, marginally, minimally, scarcely, slightly, superficially, approximately, roughly, somewhat

  6. used to express agreement

    "Are you calling me a liar? Exactly."

    similar: all right, alright, aye, OK, okeydoke, yea, yeah, yep, yes, yo
    related: absolutely, assuredly, certainly, indeed, indisputably, positively, undoubtedly, unquestionably
    opposite: nay, no, no way, scarcely

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Exactly

The most common words with a similar meaning to Exactly:

Chiefly dialect: plumb
due, full, just, precisely, right, sharp, smack-dab, squarely, ad verbum, directly, verbatim, word for word, rigidly, rigorously, strictly, all, all of, all over, altogether, clean, completely, dead, enough, entire, entirely, even, fast, flat, fully, heartily, out, perfectly, quite, soundly, thoroughly, through and through, totally, utterly, well, wholly

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Exactly

Words with the opposite meaning of Exactly:

inexactly, imprecisely, loosely, half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly, nay, no, no way, scarcely

Related Words for Exactly

expressly, faultlessly, identically, uniformly, alike, likewise, similarly, accurately, literally, carefully, conscientiously, meticulously, scrupulously, absolutely, categorically, cold, downright, hands down, plain, stone, stone-cold, unqualifiedly, basically, by and large, chiefly, generally, largely, mainly, more or less, mostly

Near Antonyms of Exactly

slightly, somewhat, vaguely, differently, variably, basically, essentially, virtually, carelessly, freely, inaccurately, barely, hardly, just, kind of, marginally, minimally, superficially, approximately, roughly

Origin & Etymology of Exactly

exact:2 + -ly:2

First known use: 1612

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Exactly

Words & Phrases Containing Exactly

my sentiments exactly, not exactly

Frequently Asked Questions about Exactly

What does "Exactly" mean?

"Exactly" means in a manner or measure or to a degree or number that strictly conforms to a fact or condition. As an adverb, it is defined as: in a manner or measure or to a degree or number that strictly conforms to a fact or condition. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Exactly"?

Other words for "Exactly" include due, full, just, precisely, right, sharp, smack-dab and squarely. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Exactly" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Exactly"?

There are 112 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Exactly". Common alternatives include due, full, just, precisely, right, sharp, smack-dab, squarely, ad verbum and directly.

What is the opposite of "Exactly"?

Antonyms of "Exactly" include inexactly, imprecisely, loosely, half, halfway, incompletely, part and partially. Near antonyms include slightly, somewhat, vaguely and differently.

How do you use "Exactly" in a sentence?

Examples of "Exactly" in a sentence: "we will meet at exactly six o'clock"; "he wants to be exactly like his father"; "a plagiarism suit alleging that one historian had copied large segments of another's text exactly".

Is "Exactly" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Exactly" is an adverb.

Is "Exactly" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Exactly" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Exactly"?

"Exactly" is pronounced /ig-ˈzak-(t)lē/ and divided into syllables as ex·act·ly.