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"So you think the system is outdated?"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

Financial institutions extend credit to borrowers with limited or imperfect credit histories precisely because higher rates help offset the risk of default. —Julio Fuentes, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026

The facility would also, however, be able to separately send two protons colliding with precisely aligned spins—something that, even today, no other experiment has yet matched. —Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 6 Feb. 2026

Marczak refuses easy answers or narrative release, and that restraint is precisely what makes the film so devastatingly honest. —Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026

This is precisely what has been taking place in California's Central Valley throughout the past weeks. —Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for precisely

• concisely
• nicely