INDEX:
1. an exact number/amount/time
2. an exact description/translation/copy
3. exactly how, what, where etc
4. exactly in a particular place
5. doing something in exactly the right way
6. exactly the right thing
7. not exact
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1. an exact number/amount/time
▷ exact /ɪgˈzækt/ [adjective usually before noun]
an exact number, amount, or time is completely correct and is no more and no less than it should be :
▪ ‘Can you tell me the exact time?’ ‘It’s 6.37.’
▪ The exact weight of the baby at birth was 3.2 kg.
▪ I don’t suppose you have the exact amount of money, do you?
▪ You need to give me the exact measurements of the room.
to be exact
used after a number to give an exact answer, statement etc
▪ It took her about an hour - 58 minutes to be exact.
▷ precise /prɪˈsaɪs/ [adjective usually before noun]
precise information is based on clear and exact figures or measurements, especially when it is important that no mistakes are made :
▪ We need to know your precise location.
▪ Each plane has to follow a precise route.
to be precise
to give precise information or figures
▪ It’s difficult to be precise about the number of deaths caused by smoking.
precisely [adverb]
▪ At 3 o'clock precisely, the ceremony began.
▪ She couldn’t describe the car very precisely.
▷ exactly /ɪgˈzæktli/ [adverb]
use this to emphasize that a number, amount, or time is no more or less than a particular time or figure :
▪ It’s exactly 5 o'clock.
▪ The bill came to exactly $1000.
▷ on the dot /ɒn ðə ˈdɒtǁ-ˈdɑːt/ [adverb] informal
at an exact time, no earlier and no later :
▪ She always leaves the office at 5.30 p.m. on the dot.
▷ sharp /ʃɑːʳp/ [adverb]
at nine o'clock/six/ten-thirty sharp
at exactly nine o'clock etc - used especially to emphasize that something will not be delayed or that someone should not be late :
▪ The performance starts at 8 o'clock sharp.
▷ on the stroke of seven/nine etc/at the stroke of seven/nine etc /ɒn ðə ˌstrəʊk əv ˈsev ə n, ət ðə-/
at exactly seven o'clock, nine o'clock etc :
▪ On the stroke of midnight, the British flag was lowered for the last time over Delhi.
▪ The judge entered the courtroom at the stroke of nine.
▷ bang on six/midnight etc/dead on six/midnight etc /ˌbæŋ ɒn ˈsɪks, ded ɒn-/ British informal
use this to emphasize that it is exactly a particular time or at exactly the right time :
▪ ‘What time is it?’ ‘Bang on midnight.’
▪ We finished dead on eight, and we were back home for nine.
▪ Luckily, he arrived dead on time.
2. an exact description/translation/copy
▷ accurate /ˈækjɑrət/ [adjective]
completely correct because all the details are true :
▪ The witness tried to give an accurate description of what she had seen.
▪ accurate financial forecasts
accuracy [uncountable noun]
▪ We double checked the figures to ensure their accuracy.
▷ exact /ɪgˈzækt/ [adjective]
an exact copy, model etc of something is like it in every possible way :
▪ an exact replica of a 900-year-old Buddhist shrine
▪ I can’t remember her exact words, but this is the gist of what she said.
exact likeness
use this about a painting or drawing of someone that looks very much like that person
▪ It’s not an exact likeness, but it’s recognisable as my father.
exact same
spoken
▪ She’s wearing the exact same dress I bought last week!
▷ literal /ˈlɪt ə rəl/ [adjective usually before noun]
a literal translation gives the exact meaning of a word, or each word in a sentence, instead of translating the word or whole sentence in a natural way :
▪ The literal meaning of the Yiddish word ‘mensch’ is ‘person’.
▪ It’s rare to use a literal translation of a film title when it is sold abroad.
literally [adverb]
▪ ‘Vino de tavola' literally means ’table wine'.
▷ word for word /ˌwɜːʳd fəʳ ˈwɜːʳd/ [adverb]
if you repeat, copy, or translate something word for word, you use the exact words that are in it :
▪ He asked me to repeat word for word the instructions he’d just given me.
▪ The footnote gave a word for word translation of the quotation.
▷ faithful /ˈfeɪθf ə l/ [adjective usually before noun]
a faithful copy of something is as close as possible to the original :
▪ His model cars are faithful copies of the originals.
▪ This is a faithful interpretation of Shakespeare’s original text.
▪ a faithful reconstruction of an Anglo-Saxon village
faithfully [adverb]
▪ The TV version follows the original novel faithfully.
▷ strict /strɪkt/ [adjective usually before noun]
exact and correct according to accepted rules or an accepted system :
▪ Dates must be listed in strict chronological order.
▪ Under a strict interpretation of the rules, she would be suspended.
▪ In the strictest sense of the word, all popular fiction is ‘romantic’.
▷ verbatim /vɜːˈbeɪtɪm, vɜːˈbeɪtəmǁvɜːr-/ [adjective/adverb] formal
repeating the exact words that were spoken or written :
▪ The government released a verbatim transcript of the pilot’s last words.
▪ He lifted passages almost verbatim from an earlier essay he had written.
3. exactly how, what, where etc
▷ exactly /ɪgˈzæktli/ [adverb]
use this to give or ask for exact details or information :
▪ Glue the pieces together, exactly as shown in the diagram.
▪ It took us exactly two hours to get here.
exactly who/what/where etc
▪ The police want to know exactly when you left the building.
▪ The doctors can’t say exactly what’s wrong with my mother.
exactly the same
▪ It tastes exactly the same as meat.
who/what/where exactly?
▪ Where exactly are you from?
▪ What exactly did you want to see?
▷ just /dʒʌst/ [adverb] especially spoken
use this to say exactly how, what, where etc something is :
▪ That’s just the right place for the painting, don’t you think?
just what/how/where etc
▪ A new handbag! That’s just what I wanted.
▪ Just who does he think he is, coming in here and shouting like that?
just the same
▪ He and his brother are just the same -- lazy.
▷ precisely /prɪˈsaɪsli/ [adverb]
exactly - use this when it is important to describe something very carefully or to get very exact information :
precisely what/where/who etc
▪ We need to know precisely how much this is going to cost.
▪ Can you tell us more precisely what happened?
where/what/who precisely?
▪ What precisely do you mean by ‘relativity’?
4. exactly in a particular place
▷ right /raɪt/ [adverb]
right in/on/up etc
use this when something is in an exact position or place :
▪ That hit me right in the eye!
▪ I got a mosquito bite right on the end of my nose.
▪ There’s the house, right in front of you.
▪ He sat down right beside her.
▷ smack in the middle of something/smack in front of something /ˌsmæk ɪn ðə ˈmɪdl əv, something, ˌsmæk ɪn ˈfrʌnt əv, something/ [adverb] informal
use this to say that something is exactly in a place, especially when this is unpleasant in some way :
▪ They live smack in the middle of a huge housing estate.
▪ A garbage truck had parked smack in front of our house.
smack dab
American use this to emphasize that you are being exact
▪ The ball hit me smack dab in the middle of my forehead.
▷ bang /bæŋ/ [adverb] British informal
bang in/on/up etc
use this when something is in an exact point or position, especially if it falls there :
▪ He landed bang in the middle of the roof, and it collapsed.
▪ The eraser hit him bang on the top of his head.
right/slap bang
▪ The arrow hit the target right bang in the middle.
▪ They’ve put an ornamental fountain slap bang in the middle of the roundabout.
5. doing something in exactly the right way
▷ exactly /ɪgˈzæktli/ [adverb]
use this to talk about doing something in exactly the right way :
▪ Assemble the table exactly as shown in the diagram on the left.
▪ I don’t exactly know how to dry herbs, could you show me?
▪ You must do exactly as I say.
▷ strictly /ˈstrɪktli/ [adverb]
done exactly according to a set of rules or instructions :
▪ The work is strictly on a volunteer basis.
▪ The immigration laws have been strictly implemented.
▪ Martha and Joan kept strictly to their part of the house.
▷ religiously /rɪˈlɪdʒəsli/ [adverb]
if you do something religiously, you do it in exactly the way that you are supposed to do it :
▪ He counted his money up religiously every night.
▪ Julia has been sticking religiously to her diet.
6. exactly the right thing
▷ exactly /ɪgˈzæktli/ [adverb]
use this to emphasize that something is the particular thing that you want or mean :
▪ This is exactly the kind of job that computers are good at.
▪ That’s exactly the sort of material I’m looking for.
exactly what
▪ The earrings are beautiful! They’re exactly what I wanted.
▪ That’s exactly what happened to me!
▷ precisely /prɪˈsaɪsli/ [adverb]
exactly - use this to emphasize exactly what the situation is, exactly what happened, exactly what you meant etc :
▪ That is precisely the point I was trying to make earlier.
▪ The new legislation won’t solve the problem - it will do precisely the opposite.
▷ just /dʒʌst/ [adverb] informal
use this to talk about exactly the thing, person, or place you mean, want etc :
▪ We want just the same rights as everyone else.
▪ He said he was leaving her and proceeded to do just that!
just who/what/how etc
▪ I’m not sure just who you mean.
▪ Mallorca? That’s just where we want to go.
7. not exact
▷ rough /rʌf/ [adjective only before noun]
not exact, or not containing exact details :
▪ He gave us a rough outline of the course.
rough estimate/guess
▪ I’ve got a rough estimate here of what it might cost.
rough idea
▪ She had a rough idea of where Harry lived, but she didn’t know the exact street.
▷ approximate /əˈprɒksɪmət, əˈprɒksəmətǁəˈprɑːk-/ [adjective] formal
an approximate number, amount, or time is close to the true number, amount, or time but does not need to be completely correct :
▪ Our approximate time of arrival will be 10.30.
▪ Please state on the form the approximate value of all your household goods.
▷ vague /veɪg/ [adjective]
an explanation, promise, reason etc that is vague is not exact, but you think that it should be :
▪ The doctor’s vague explanations only increased Clara’s fears.
▪ I’ve only got a vague idea of what he wants for this project.
be vague about
explain something in a vague way
▪ Officials were vague about the number of weapons that were uncovered.
vaguely [adverb]
▪ They murmured something vaguely when I asked how long they had been there.
▷ hazy /ˈheɪzi/ [adjective]
a hazy memory, understanding, idea etc is not clear and not exact :
▪ She had a hazy recollection of being carried out of the room.
▪ The details are still a little hazy.
▷ loose /luːs/ [adjective usually before noun]
loose translation/interpretation/sense etc
a record, explanation etc of something that includes parts that are not exactly like what was said, written, or decided originally :
▪ This is only a loose translation of the original paper.
▪ A looser interpretation of the law would lead to more convictions.
loosely [adjective]
▪ The term "empire' is often loosely applied to a federation of states.