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"So you think the system is outdated?"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 of precisely

• 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

The need for guardrails in the college game is precisely why Congress has become a battleground for paying college athletes, culminating in the Save College Sports Act which has been hotly debated on both sides of the political aisle. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026

The oxygen isotopes within the meteorites’ organic matter fall precisely along or near the Carbonaceous Chondrite Anhydrous Mineral (CCAM) line. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026

Fortunately for those who are tired of the political fireworks and simply want to enjoy outstanding presentations on the Declaration of Independence and the uniqueness of the American experiment, several current exhibitions offer precisely that. — Michael Auslin, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2026

That may be precisely what makes this phenomenon significant. — Morgan Shipley, The Conversation, 21 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for precisely

• concisely
• nicely