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"So you think the system is outdated?"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

And that’s precisely the mistake Powell is making, in Sløk’s view. —Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 June 2024

The album’s title precisely describes Smith’s sound and even her aesthetic. —Spin Contributor, SPIN, 31 May 2024

The research is still too new to determine precisely what effect, if any, placental microplastics have on fetal development. —Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 31 May 2024

For comedy fans, there’s Pete Davidson—who starred in many parody tributes to Eminem during his time at SNL—and Shane Gillis, whose career took off precisely because he was booted from SNL for his offensive comments. —Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 31 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1