Phrase guide

exact science

noun · 3 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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A mathematical science, i.e. a field of science such as mathematics or mathematical physics which is capable of perfectly exact results based on rigorously formal methods.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: strictly

Topics: sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A field of science such as physics or chemistry that is not perfectly exact, but still capable of highly quantitative results based on methods that are not strictly rigorous, but still systematic and scrupulous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

Topics: sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Used contrastively to characterize something as imprecise or relying on intuition or heuristics.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Jury selection isn't an exact science.
  • 1967 Harry Levin, Why Literary Criticism Is Not an Exact Science (book title) (Harvard University Press)

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Polish: nauki ścisłe — field of science capable of perfectly exact results based on rigorously formal methods
  • Spanish: ciencias exactas — field of science capable of perfectly exact results based on rigorously formal methods
  • Chinese Mandarin: 精密科學 /精密科学 (jīngmì kēxué) — field of science capable of quantitative expression
  • Chinese Mandarin: 精確科學 /精确科学 (jīngquè kēxué) — field of science capable of quantitative expression
  • Dutch: exacte wetenschap — field of science capable of quantitative expression
  • Finnish: eksakti tiede — field of science capable of quantitative expression
  • French: science exacte — field of science capable of quantitative expression
  • French: science dure — field of science capable of quantitative expression
  • German: exakte Wissenschaft — field of science capable of quantitative expression
  • Indonesian: ilmu eksakta — field of science capable of quantitative expression
  • Japanese: 精密科学 (seimitsu kagaku) — field of science capable of quantitative expression
  • Polish: nauka ścisła — field of science capable of quantitative expression
  • Russian: то́чная нау́ка (tóčnaja naúka) — field of science capable of quantitative expression
  • Spanish: ciencia exacta — field of science capable of quantitative expression