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"So you think the system is outdated?"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 more than $500 extra annually for the typical family’s grocery bill — money that stays in working-class pockets when markets work freely — precisely while large volume retailers often provide the only real relief in this post-Biden inflation hangover. —Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026

Researchers said Ace’s success could have future applications in manufacturing and service robotics, where machines must react quickly while operating safely and precisely around people. —Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026

Its launch was precisely timed for the moment Earth’s rotation spun Plesetsk underneath the orbital plane of the NRO’s USA 338 Keyhole-class optical spy satellite. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026

The neighborhood Qiantan is not yet shorthand for glamour—and that’s precisely its appeal. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for precisely

• concisely
• nicely