exact

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English

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Etymology

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From Latin exāctus (the verb via Middle English exact), perfect passive participle of exigō (demand, claim as due; measure by a standard, weigh, test), from ex (out) + agō (drive).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ɪɡˈzækt/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ækt

Adjective

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exact (comparative exacter or more exact, superlative exactest or most exact)

  1. Precisely agreeing with a standard, a fact, or the truth; perfectly conforming; neither exceeding nor falling short in any respect.
    The clock keeps exact time.
    He paid the exact debt.
    an exact copy of a letter
    exact accounts
  2. Habitually careful to agree with a standard, a rule, or a promise; accurate; methodical; punctual.
    a man exact in observing an appointment
    In my doings I was exact.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. [], London: [] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker []; [a]nd by Robert Boulter []; [a]nd Matthias Walker, [], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: [], London: Basil Montagu Pickering [], 1873, →OCLC:
      I see thou art exact of taste.
    • 1661, John Fell, The Life of the most learned, reverend and pious Dr. H. Hammond[1]:
      During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy, he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant []
  3. Precisely or definitely conceived or stated; strict.
  4. (algebra, of a sequence of groups connected by homomorphisms) Such that the kernel of one homomorphism is the image of the preceding one.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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exact (third-person singular simple present exacts, present participle exacting, simple past and past participle exacted)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) To demand and enforce the payment or performance of, sometimes in a forcible or imperious way.
    to exact tribute, fees, or obedience from someone
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, [] (King James Version), London: [] Robert Barker, [], →OCLC, Luke 3:13:
      He said into them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
    • 2018, Edo Konrad, “Living in the constant shadow of settler violence”, in +972 Magazine:
      Their goal is retributive: to exact a price from Palestinian civilians (and in some cases left-wing Israeli Jews, Christians, and Israeli security forces) for actions Israeli authorities take against the settlers, usually building enforcement in illegally built settlements.
    • 2020 September 19, statement of Clarence Thomas on the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg[2]:
      She was a superb judge who gave her best and exacted the best from each of us, whether in agreement or disagreement.
    • 2020, Kristine Henriksen Garroway, John W. Martens, Children and Methods, page 139:
      [] a generic, strikingly universal, deity, “ha-elohim,” who tests, who exacts and extracts, and who is the object of fear []
  2. (transitive) To make desirable or necessary.
  3. (transitive) To inflict; to forcibly obtain or produce; to visit.
    to exact revenge on someone

Usage notes

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  • Often used with the preposition from or on.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Adverb

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exact (comparative more exact, superlative most exact)

  1. exactly
    She's wearing the exact same sweater as I am!

Synonyms

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Further reading

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Dutch

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French exact, from Middle French exact, from Latin exāctus.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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exact (comparative exacter, superlative exactst)

  1. exact, precise

Declension

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Declension of exact
uninflected exact
inflected exacte
comparative exacter
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial exact exacter het exactst
het exactste
indefinite m./f. sing. exacte exactere exactste
n. sing. exact exacter exactste
plural exacte exactere exactste
definite exacte exactere exactste
partitive exacts exacters

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Afrikaans: eksak

French

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Etymology

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From Latin exāctus.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ɛɡ.zakt/, (old-fashioned) /ɛɡ.za/
  • Audio:(file)

Adjective

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exact (feminine exacte, masculine plural exacts, feminine plural exactes)

  1. exact; precise

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French exact.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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exact m or n (feminine singular exactă, masculine plural exacți, feminine and neuter plural exacte)

  1. exact, precise

Declension

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Adverb

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exact

  1. exactly, precisely

See also

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