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"So you think the system is outdated?"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

Established precisely a decade ago under the leadership of renowned footwear designer and Linda Dresner Endowed Chair in Fashion Design, Aki Choklat, the accredited university recently showcased the latest generation of designers out of the Motor City. —Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025

This is precisely why people in positions of power must work on achieving inner calmness. —Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Time, 3 May 2025

The movie is, paradoxically, both artifact and construct; the instability of the image is precisely what holds it together. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 2 May 2025

But the truth is precisely the opposite, of course. —Jonathan Zimmerman, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for precisely

• concisely
• nicely