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.)Barry F. KavanaghThe 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
P. G. WodehouseIt is precisely to counter this sort of "negative advertising" that the garbage industry has lately been working hard to change its image.—Elizabeth Royte
Elizabeth Royte2
: quite so
—used to confirm emphatically that what has been said or suggested is exactly correct
"So you think the system is outdated?" "Precisely."
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
Patterns were planned so precisely that every inch of fabric ended up in the garment, nothing left on the floor, nothing headed for a landfill.
—Itay Hod, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Proven programs like CityFHEPS exist precisely to bridge that gap, helping households stay housed and preventing avoidable homelessness.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Prior to the translunar injection, the crew completed a perigee raise burn to position the spacecraft in the correct orbital geometry for the maneuver, ensuring the engine firing would place Orion precisely on its intended path.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
By directing these air streams precisely, the aircraft can adjust pitch, roll, and yaw.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precisely
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Itay Hod, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
Proven programs like CityFHEPS exist precisely to bridge that gap, helping households stay housed and preventing avoidable homelessness.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Prior to the translunar injection, the crew completed a perigee raise burn to position the spacecraft in the correct orbital geometry for the maneuver, ensuring the engine firing would place Orion precisely on its intended path.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
By directing these air streams precisely, the aircraft can adjust pitch, roll, and yaw.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for precisely
Cite this Entry
“Precisely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precisely. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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