EXACT
What does "EXACT" mean?
Correct in every detail; precise and accurate.
Meanings
- Strictly accurate and complete, without approximation. Give me the exact time the train left.
- Marked by strict rigour or carefulness. She is exact in everything she does.
- To demand and obtain something by force or authority. The regime exacted heavy taxes from the farmers. formal
Did you know?
- The 'exact' that means precise and the 'exact' that means to demand by force share a root: Latin 'exigere', 'to weigh out' - which also produced 'exigent' and even 'essay' (a weighing of ideas).
Word origin
From Latin 'exactus', past participle of 'exigere' meaning 'to drive out, weigh, measure precisely', from 'ex-' (out) plus 'agere' (to drive).
Remember it
EX-ACT: an exact answer is the act done EXactly right, nothing extra.
A little poem
Round it off and the bridge still stands;
round it twice, and it sinks in your hands.
couplet
Wordplay
- I asked the watchmaker for the exact time. He said it depends - he's only ever sure twice a day, and one of his clocks is broken.
What it teaches
Exactness costs effort up front and saves disasters later; vagueness is a loan you repay with interest.
Quick facts
What does EXACT mean?
Correct in every detail; precise and accurate.
Is EXACT a valid word?
Yes — EXACT is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is EXACT?
EXACT has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does EXACT come from?
From Latin 'exactus', past participle of 'exigere' meaning 'to drive out, weigh, measure precisely', from 'ex-' (out) plus 'agere' (to drive).
What can EXACT teach us?
Exactness costs effort up front and saves disasters later; vagueness is a loan you repay with interest.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.