- 1 correct in every detail synonym precise She gave an exact description of the attacker. an exact copy/replica of the painting We need to know the exact time the incident occurred. What were his exact words? She's in her mid-thirties—thirty-six to be exact. The colours were an exact match. He started to phone me at the exact moment I started to phone him (= at the same time). The two men were exact contemporaries at university. Her second husband was the exact opposite of her first (= completely different).
- 2 (of people) very accurate and careful about details synonym meticulous, precise
- 3(of a science) using accurate measurements and following set rules synonym precise Assessing insurance risk can never be an exact science. Word Originlate Middle English (as a verb): from Latin exact- ‘completed, ascertained, enforced’, from the verb exigere, from ex- ‘thoroughly’ + agere ‘perform’. The adjective dates from the mid 16th cent. and reflects the Latin exactus ‘precise’.Extra examples He started to phone me at the exact moment I started to phone him. I had the exact same problem as you when I first started. She’s in her mid-thirties—36, to be exact. This is an exact copy of the original document.
Check pronunciation: exact
