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"So you think the system is outdated?"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 Hisense M7SRtakes precisely that route, bringing together the right technologies in a way that makes sense when the screen is used every day. — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026

That combination of real progress and real uncertainty is precisely what makes this time worth paying attention to. — Dax Grant, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

This is precisely the Orientalism the essays in the book take issue with. — Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026

But precisely what Saab has already told investigators — or what cases prosecutors might ask him to assist with — remains undisclosed. — Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for precisely

• concisely
• nicely