precisely

adverb

pre·​cise·​ly pri-ˈsīs-lē 

1

: in a precise manner : exactly

weighing ingredients precisely

This incremental adjustment is continued until the bubble is precisely centered.

—Barry F. Kavanagh

—often used to emphasize the precision of something (such as a measurement, time, description, etc.)

The sample weighed precisely 6 ounces.

We arrived at precisely two o'clock.

She always knows precisely what to do.

He was popular precisely because he was so kind.

She always woke at eight precisely.

—P. G. Wodehouse

It is precisely to counter this sort of "negative advertising" that the garbage industry has lately been working hard to change its image.

—Elizabeth Royte

2

: quite so

—used to confirm emphatically that what has been said or suggested is exactly correct

"So you think the system is outdated?" "Precisely."

Synonyms

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

Examples of precisely in a Sentence

I feel precisely the same way as you do.

measured the length of the board precisely

Recent Examples on the Web

Communicate precisely and move forward with enthusiasm. —Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024

The precisely contoured shell shape provides a very close fit through the instep, ankles, and heel, but with enough curvature to encompass—rather than crush—bony protrusions. —Outside Editors, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024

Fuchs said such rapid flips between extremes were precisely what the government’s Fifth National Climate Assessment predicted. —Denise Chow, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024

If the revenue from theater ticket sales exceeds the production company's net spending then the movie makes a profit, which is precisely what happened with The Last Jedi. —Caroline Reid, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1