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"So you think the system is outdated?"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

That's precisely what a smart Southern cook thinks, too. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 9 Jan. 2026

His visibility allows the regime to portray protesters as tools of foreign powers and the discredited monarchy—precisely what Pahlavi’s meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu accomplished in 2023. —Bobby Ghosh, Time, 9 Jan. 2026

That’s precisely why clear, credible dietary guidance matters. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026

The republic would treat other nations with civility precisely in order to remain independent of their appetites and quarrels. —Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for precisely

• concisely
• nicely