Standard Lemma guide

exact

adj · adv · verb · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪɡˈzækt/
  • /ɛɡ-/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ækt
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 G Z AE1 K T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Precisely agreeing with a standard, a fact, or the truth; perfectly conforming; neither exceeding nor falling short in any respect.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The clock keeps exact time.
  • He paid the exact debt.
  • an exact copy of a letter
  • exact accounts

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Habitually careful to agree with a standard, a rule, or a promise; accurate; methodical; punctual.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a man exact in observing an appointment
  • In my doings I was exact.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Precisely or definitely conceived or stated; strict.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Such that the kernel of each morphism is the image of the preceding one.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Qualifier: homological algebra

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Such that it preserves short exact sequences.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Qualifier: homological algebra

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: left exact, right exact

6

adv

Meaning 6

exactly

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She's wearing the exact same sweater as I am!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To demand and enforce the payment or performance of, sometimes in a forcible or imperious way.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

Examples

  • to exact tribute, fees, or obedience from someone

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To make desirable or necessary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To inflict; to forcibly obtain or produce; to visit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to exact revenge on someone

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective

Meaning 10

marked by strict and particular and complete accordance with fact

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an exact mind
  • an exact copy
  • hit the exact center of the target

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: inexact

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

(of ideas, images, representations, expressions) characterized by perfect conformity to fact or truth ; strictly correct

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a precise image
  • a precise measurement

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: accurate, precise

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

take as an undesirable consequence of some event or state of affairs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the accident claimed three lives
  • The hard work took its toll on her

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: claim, take

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: necessitate, ask, postulate, need, require, take, involve, call for, demand

13

verb

Meaning 13

claim as due or just

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The bank demanded payment of the loan

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: demand

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: claim

Narrower terms: command, call, call in

History

Etymology

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”).

Across languages

Translations

147 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مَضْبُوط (maḍbūṭ) — precisely agreeing
  • Arabic: دَقِيق (daqīq) — precisely agreeing
  • Armenian: ճիշտ (čišt) — precisely agreeing
  • Azerbaijani: dəqiq — precisely agreeing
  • Basque: zehatz — precisely agreeing
  • Belarusian: дакла́дны (dakládny) — precisely agreeing
  • Breton: rik — precisely agreeing
  • Bulgarian: то́чен (tóčen) — precisely agreeing
  • Bulgarian: преци́зен (precízen) — precisely agreeing
  • Catalan: exacte — precisely agreeing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 正確 /正确 (zhèngquè) — precisely agreeing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 準確 /准确 (zhǔnquè) — precisely agreeing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 精密 (jīngmì) — precisely agreeing
  • Czech: přesný — precisely agreeing
  • Czech: exaktní — precisely agreeing
  • Danish: eksakt — precisely agreeing
  • Dutch: exact — precisely agreeing
  • Dutch: precies — precisely agreeing
  • Esperanto: ekzakta — precisely agreeing
  • Estonian: täpnee — precisely agreeing
  • Finnish: tarkka — precisely agreeing
  • Finnish: täsmällinen — precisely agreeing
  • Finnish: eksakti — precisely agreeing
  • French: exact — precisely agreeing
  • French: précis — precisely agreeing
  • Georgian: ზუსტი (zusṭi) — precisely agreeing
  • German: exakt — precisely agreeing
  • German: genau — precisely agreeing
  • Greek: ακριβής (akrivís) — precisely agreeing
  • Ancient Greek: ἀκριβής (akribḗs) — precisely agreeing
  • Ancient Greek: ἀτρεκής (atrekḗs) — precisely agreeing
  • Hungarian: pontos — precisely agreeing
  • Hungarian: precíz — precisely agreeing
  • Hungarian: egzakt — precisely agreeing
  • Indonesian: akurat — precisely agreeing
  • Ingrian: tocnoi — precisely agreeing
  • Irish: cruinn — precisely agreeing
  • Irish: baileach — precisely agreeing
  • Irish: beacht — precisely agreeing
  • Italian: esatto — precisely agreeing
  • Italian: giusto — precisely agreeing
  • Japanese: 正確な (seikaku na) — precisely agreeing
  • Japanese: 精密な (seimitsu na) — precisely agreeing
  • Japanese: 詳しい (kuwashii) — precisely agreeing
  • Khmer: ត្រឹម (trəm) — precisely agreeing
  • Korean: 정확한 (jeonghwak-han) — precisely agreeing
  • Latin: exactus — precisely agreeing
  • Latvian: precīzs — precisely agreeing
  • Lithuanian: tikslus — precisely agreeing
  • Macedonian: точен (točen) — precisely agreeing
  • Macedonian: прецизен (precizen) — precisely agreeing
  • Maltese: eżatt — precisely agreeing
  • Norman: juste — precisely agreeing
  • Occitan: exacte — precisely agreeing
  • Persian: دقیق (daqiq) — precisely agreeing
  • Plautdietsch: wess — precisely agreeing
  • Polish: dokładny — precisely agreeing
  • Portuguese: exato — precisely agreeing
  • Russian: то́чный (tóčnyj) — precisely agreeing
  • Serbo-Croatian: точан — precisely agreeing
  • Serbo-Croatian: тачан — precisely agreeing
  • Serbo-Croatian: прецизан — precisely agreeing
  • Serbo-Croatian: točan — precisely agreeing
  • Serbo-Croatian: tačan — precisely agreeing
  • Serbo-Croatian: precizan — precisely agreeing
  • Slovak: presný — precisely agreeing
  • Slovene: natančen — precisely agreeing
  • Spanish: exacto — precisely agreeing
  • Swedish: exakt — precisely agreeing
  • Tagalog: singkad — precisely agreeing
  • Tagalog: sayap — precisely agreeing
  • Thai: แม่นยํา (mɛ̂n-yam) — precisely agreeing
  • Turkish: dakik — precisely agreeing
  • Ukrainian: то́чний (tóčnyj) — precisely agreeing
  • Ukrainian: докла́дний (dokládnyj) — precisely agreeing
  • Welsh: union — precisely agreeing
  • Bulgarian: акура́тен (akuráten) — habitually careful
  • Catalan: precís — habitually careful
  • Dutch: exact — habitually careful
  • Dutch: precies — habitually careful
  • Finnish: tarkka — habitually careful
  • Finnish: täsmällinen — habitually careful
  • Finnish: eksakti — habitually careful
  • German: exakt — habitually careful
  • German: genau — habitually careful
  • Italian: esatto — habitually careful
  • Italian: preciso — habitually careful
  • Italian: attento — habitually careful
  • Occitan: precís — habitually careful
  • Polish: dokładny — habitually careful
  • Portuguese: rigoroso — habitually careful
  • Russian: аккура́тный (akkurátnyj) — habitually careful
  • Scottish Gaelic: pongail — habitually careful
  • Spanish: exacto — habitually careful
  • Bulgarian: ве́рен (véren) — precisely conceived or stated
  • Catalan: exacte — precisely conceived or stated
  • Dutch: exact — precisely conceived or stated
  • Dutch: precies — precisely conceived or stated
  • Finnish: tarkka — precisely conceived or stated
  • Finnish: täsmällinen — precisely conceived or stated
  • Finnish: eksakti — precisely conceived or stated
  • German: exakt — precisely conceived or stated
  • Italian: preciso — precisely conceived or stated
  • Italian: definito — precisely conceived or stated
  • Māori: pū — precisely conceived or stated
  • Polish: dokładny — precisely conceived or stated
  • Portuguese: exato — precisely conceived or stated
  • Russian: ве́рный (vérnyj) — precisely conceived or stated
  • Scottish Gaelic: pongail — precisely conceived or stated
  • Spanish: exacto — precisely conceived or stated
  • Tagalog: sayap — precisely conceived or stated
  • Finnish: eksakti — such that kernel equals image
  • Italian: equivalente — such that kernel equals image
  • Bulgarian: изисквам (iziskvam) — To demand and enforce
  • Ngazidja Comorian: uɗai — To demand and enforce
  • Dutch: eisen — To demand and enforce
  • Finnish: vaatia — To demand and enforce
  • Finnish: määrätä — To demand and enforce
  • French: exiger — To demand and enforce
  • German: fordern — To demand and enforce
  • German: abverlangen — To demand and enforce
  • German: eintreiben — To demand and enforce
  • Italian: esigere — To demand and enforce
  • Italian: pretendere — To demand and enforce
  • Portuguese: exigir — To demand and enforce
  • Spanish: exigir — To demand and enforce
  • Spanish: enforzar — To demand and enforce
  • Spanish: exaccionar — To demand and enforce
  • Spanish: precisar — To demand and enforce
  • Spanish: empeñar — To demand and enforce
  • Ukrainian: стягати (stjahaty) — To demand and enforce
  • Finnish: pakottaa — To make desirable or necessary
  • Ido: necesigar — To make desirable or necessary
  • Portuguese: requerer — To make desirable or necessary
  • Dutch: afdwingen — To forcibly obtain or produce
  • Dutch: doorzetten — To forcibly obtain or produce
  • Finnish: saada — To forcibly obtain or produce
  • German: erzwingen — To forcibly obtain or produce
  • German: durchsetzen — To forcibly obtain or produce
  • Portuguese: obter — To forcibly obtain or produce
  • Spanish: exigir — To forcibly obtain or produce
  • Spanish: infligir — To forcibly obtain or produce
  • Spanish: obtener — To forcibly obtain or produce
  • Spanish: producir — To forcibly obtain or produce
  • Spanish: tomar — To forcibly obtain or produce
  • Spanish: exaccionar — To forcibly obtain or produce
  • Ukrainian: домагатися (domahatysja) — To forcibly obtain or produce
Real reading context

exact in complete knowledge articles