Exact
What it means
Matching the required fact, amount, or specification without deviation.
Reach for it when praising precision where even a small difference matters
The carpenter recorded the exact width before cutting the replacement panel.
Words to choose between 6
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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playful
Fits when complete correctness deserves informal approval
Careful The phrase sounds breezy in specifications and is often used as loose praise.
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everyday
specific
Fits when detail removes ambiguity
Careful Specific information may identify the right item without giving an exact quantity.
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professional
Fits when closeness to truth or a verified standard matters
Careful An accurate estimate can still be rounded rather than exact.
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professional
Fits when fine measurement or carefully bounded language is central
Careful Precision can describe repeatability without proving the value is exactly correct.
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formal
literal
Fits when words should be taken without figurative extension
Careful Literal concerns interpretation, not numerical or factual exactness.
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literary
Fits when a copy or account preserves the original closely
Careful Faithful allows interpretive choices and should not promise exact duplication.
Opposites 4
- approximate
- inaccurate
- vague
- imprecise
Common phrases 3
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exact amount
The invoice lists the exact amount returned to each household.
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exact match
Only one fragment proved an exact match for the missing corner.
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exact location
The map records the exact location of every emergency valve.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated