exact

1 of 2

verb

ex·​act ig-ˈzakt How to pronounce exact (audio)
exacted; exacting; exacts

transitive verb

1
: to call for forcibly or urgently and obtain
from them has been exacted the ultimate sacrificeD. D. Eisenhower
2
: to call for as necessary or desirable
exactable adjective
exactor noun
or less commonly exacter

exact

2 of 2

adjective

1
: exhibiting or marked by strict, particular, and complete accordance with fact or a standard
2
: marked by thorough consideration or minute measurement of small factual details
exactness noun

Did you know?

Exact derives from a form of the Latin verb exigere, meaning "to drive out, to demand, or to measure." (Another descendant of exigere is the word exigent, which can mean "demanding" or "requiring immediate attention.") Exigere, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix ex- with the verb agere, meaning "to drive." Agere has been a prolific source of words for English speakers; it is the ancestor of agent, react, mitigate, and navigate, just to name a few. Incidentally, if you are looking for a synonym of the verb exact, you could try demand, call for, claim, or require.

Did you know?

Do you exact or extract revenge?

The verb exact (as in, "exacting revenge" or "exacting a promise") is not as commonly encountered as the adjective exact, (as in "an exact copy" or "exact measurements"). Sometimes people will mistakenly use the more common verb extract when they really want exact. Extract can refer to removing something by pulling or cutting or to getting information from someone who does not want to give it. While both words refer to getting something they are used in different ways. You extract a tooth, but you exact revenge.

Choose the Right Synonym for exact

Verb

demand, claim, require, exact mean to ask or call for something as due or as necessary.

demand implies peremptoriness and insistence and often the right to make requests that are to be regarded as commands.

demanded payment of the debt

claim implies a demand for the delivery or concession of something due as one's own or one's right.

claimed the right to manage his own affairs

require suggests the imperativeness that arises from inner necessity, compulsion of law or regulation, or the exigencies of the situation.

the patient requires constant attention

exact implies not only demanding but getting what one demands.

exacts absolute loyalty

Adjective

correct, accurate, exact, precise, nice, right mean conforming to fact, standard, or truth.

correct usually implies freedom from fault or error.

correct answers
socially correct dress

accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care.

an accurate description

exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth.

exact measurements

precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation.

precise calibration

nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination.

makes nice distinctions

right is close to correct but has a stronger positive emphasis on conformity to fact or truth rather than mere absence of error or fault.

the right thing to do

Examples of exact in a Sentence

Verb They would not rest until they had exacted revenge. He was able to exact a promise from them. Adjective Those were his exact words. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. We don't know the exact nature of the problem. Predicting the path of hurricanes is not an exact science. The police have an exact description of the killer. Please take the most exact measurements possible. He is very exact in the way he solves a problem.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The election comes after more than two years of war which have exacted huge costs on the Russian population. Christian Edwards, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 Persuading far-right members of the House to keep the government open is strategic—a means to preserve Republican congressional seats and to exact future cuts. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 City planners proposed exacting a monthly maintenance fee on properties to stave off greater decay. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 And developing countries of all kinds recognized him as someone who knows better than most how to exact concessions from the global North. Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 28 Feb. 2024 The paintings had a small vocabulary of simple shapes (dollar bills, hearts, globes, crawling babies), applied to the picture plane with no great attention to exact placement or color, like a baker applying sprinkles to a birthday cake. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 The patterns of her spiraling movement — pivoting feet, swinging arms and legs, hops on a single foot, an outstretched hand pointing into the distance — were exacting and repetitive, in ways that at times seemed draining. Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024 The Star Awards, the benchmark for luxury and service excellence in the global hospitality industry, are based on a rigorous process involving anonymous inspectors assessing hundreds of exacting criteria. Jennifer Kester, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Biden this week acknowledged that the strikes had so far failed to discourage Houthi leaders, who have promised to exact revenge against the United States and Britain, whose military has contributed to the strikes in Yemen. Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2024
Adjective
But an exact death toll is near-impossible to calculate, in part because of the difficulties of unraveling the causes of cancer. Laura Paddison, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 An exact release date for the eight-episode series hasn’t been revealed yet, but it’s expected to premiere this fall on Max. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024 While its exact origins are unclear, many historians trace April Fools' back to 1582, the History Channel and the Library of Congress report. Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 The board in front of them is the exact dimensions of the one Cole shaped and surfs with — a 9-foot-6 longboard. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2024 Much of the details about the production — including the exact number of films to be made — will depend on the creatives assembled. Alex Ritman, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded more cases this year than the 58 tallied in all of 2023, although the agency is not expected to release exact numbers until Friday. Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Today’s air-travel anxiety sits at the intersection of these vibes, anecdotes, legitimate and troubling news reports, and the algorithmic distortion of the internet, creating a distinctly modern feeling of a large, looming problem, the exact contours of which are difficult to discern. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 Mar. 2024 Parks did not identify the exact amount of the shortfall, but wrote that the district needs to cut $25 million in the next school year's budget to comply with state and school board requirements. Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exact.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English exacten "to require as payment," borrowed from Latin exāctus, past participle of exigere "to drive out, achieve, enforce payment of or the performance of (a task), require, inquire into, examine" from ex- ex- entry 1 + agere "to drive (cattle), be in motion, do, perform" — more at agent

Adjective

borrowed from Latin exāctus, from past participle of exigere "to drive out, achieve, require, inquire into, examine, measure" — more at exact entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1564, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exact was in 1533

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Dictionary Entries Near exact

Cite this Entry

“Exact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exact. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

exact

1 of 2 verb
ex·​act ig-ˈzakt How to pronounce exact (audio)
1
: to demand and get by force or threat
exact burdensome concessions
2
: to call for as necessary or desirable
exact a high price
exaction
-ˈzak-shən
noun

exact

2 of 2 adjective
1
: fully and completely in agreement with fact, a standard, or an original
the exact time
an exact rhyme
an exact replica
2
: providing great accuracy
exact instruments
exactness
-ˈzak(t)-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on exact

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