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"So you think the system is outdated?"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

• just
• right
• exactly

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

Contributions spike dramatically in the two months prior to an election, precisely when candidates are vulnerable, and voters are most attentive. —John J. Donohue, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025

That is precisely what makes her music stand out in a crowded field. —Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025

Despite its rough appearance, the system helped operators better judge distance and handle tasks more precisely. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025

Charlestown, Rhode Island, doesn’t quite get the same amount of attention as splashy Newport does—but that's precisely the point. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for precisely

• concisely
• nicely