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"So you think the system is outdated?"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

To get the perfect shot, the sun had to be low, the jumper high, and McCarthy positioned precisely where their paths would align. —Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025

It must be noted that prediction market volume, which includes trades involving institutional market makers and does not precisely measure each individual’s risk, is not interchangeable with traditional sportsbook handle. —Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 5 Dec. 2025

This is strategically important to the United States precisely because European states cannot reform themselves if they are trapped in political crisis. —Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025

Yet that is precisely what Executive Order 14160 attempts to do, by conditioning birthright citizenship on the immigration status of a child's parents. —James Sample, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for precisely

• concisely
• nicely