exact

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ex·act

(ĭg-zăkt′)

adj.

1. Strictly and completely in accord with fact; not deviating from truth or reality: an exact account; an exact replica; your exact words.

2. Characterized by accurate measurements or inferences with small margins of error; not approximate: an exact figure; an exact science.

3. Characterized by strict adherence to standards or rules: an exact speaker.

tr.v. ex·act·ed, ex·act·ing, ex·acts

1. To force the payment or yielding of; extort: exact tribute from a conquered people.

2. To demand and obtain by force or authority: a harsh leader who exacts obedience.

3. To inflict (vengeance or punishment, for example).

[Latin exāctus, past participle of exigere, to weigh out, demand : ex-, ex- + agere, to weigh; see ag- in Indo-European roots.]

ex·act′a·ble adj.

ex·act′ness n.

ex·ac′tor, ex·act′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

exact

(ɪɡˈzækt)

adj

1. correct in every detail; strictly accurate: an exact copy.

2. precise, as opposed to approximate; neither more nor less: the exact sum.

3. (prenominal) specific; particular: this exact spot.

4. operating with very great precision: exact instruments.

5. allowing no deviation from a standard; rigorous; strict: an exact mind.

6. based mainly on measurement and the formulation of laws, as opposed to description and classification: physics is an exact science.

vb (tr)

7. to force or compel (payment or performance); extort: to exact tribute.

8. to demand as a right; insist upon: to exact respect from one's employees.

9. to call for or require: this work exacts careful effort.

[C16: from Latin exactus driven out, from exigere to drive forth, from agere to drive]

exˈactable adj

exˈactness n

exˈactor, exˈacter n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ex•act

(ɪgˈzækt)

adj.

1. strictly accurate or correct: an exact description.

2. precise, as opposed to approximate: the exact date.

3. admitting of no deviation, as laws or discipline; strict or rigorous.

4. capable of the greatest precision: exact instruments.

5. characterized by or using strict accuracy: an exact thinker.

v.t.

6. to call for, demand, or require: to exact respect.

7. to force or compel the payment, yielding, or performance of: to exact a ransom.

[1400–50; late Middle English < Latin exāctus, orig. past participle of exigere to drive out, enforce, exact =ex- ex-¹ + -igere, comb. form of agere to drive, do, act]

ex•act′a•ble, adj.

ex•act′er, ex•ac′tor, n.

ex•act′ness, n.

exact

Past participle: exacted
Gerund: exacting

Imperative
exact
exact

Present
I exact
you exact
he/she/it exacts
we exact
you exact
they exact

Preterite
I exacted
you exacted
he/she/it exacted
we exacted
you exacted
they exacted

Present Continuous
I am exacting
you are exacting
he/she/it is exacting
we are exacting
you are exacting
they are exacting

Present Perfect
I have exacted
you have exacted
he/she/it has exacted
we have exacted
you have exacted
they have exacted

Past Continuous
I was exacting
you were exacting
he/she/it was exacting
we were exacting
you were exacting
they were exacting

Past Perfect
I had exacted
you had exacted
he/she/it had exacted
we had exacted
you had exacted
they had exacted

Future
I will exact
you will exact
he/she/it will exact
we will exact
you will exact
they will exact

Future Perfect
I will have exacted
you will have exacted
he/she/it will have exacted
we will have exacted
you will have exacted
they will have exacted

Future Continuous
I will be exacting
you will be exacting
he/she/it will be exacting
we will be exacting
you will be exacting
they will be exacting

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been exacting
you have been exacting
he/she/it has been exacting
we have been exacting
you have been exacting
they have been exacting

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been exacting
you will have been exacting
he/she/it will have been exacting
we will have been exacting
you will have been exacting
they will have been exacting

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been exacting
you had been exacting
he/she/it had been exacting
we had been exacting
you had been exacting
they had been exacting

Conditional
I would exact
you would exact
he/she/it would exact
we would exact
you would exact
they would exact

Past Conditional
I would have exacted
you would have exacted
he/she/it would have exacted
we would have exacted
you would have exacted
they would have exacted

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Verb	1.	exact - claim as due or just; "The bank demanded payment of the loan" demand command - demand as one's due; "This speaker commands a high fee"; "The author commands a fair hearing from his readers" claim - ask for legally or make a legal claim to, as of debts, for example; "They claimed on the maximum allowable amount" call in, call - demand payment of (a loan); "Call a loan"
	2.	exact - take as an undesirable consequence of some event or state of affairs; "the accident claimed three lives"; "The hard work took its toll on her" claim, take necessitate, need, require, call for, demand, postulate, involve, ask, take - require as useful, just, or proper; "It takes nerve to do what she did"; "success usually requires hard work"; "This job asks a lot of patience and skill"; "This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice"; "This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert"; "This intervention does not postulate a patient's consent"
Adj.	1.	exact - marked by strict and particular and complete accordance with fact; "an exact mind"; "an exact copy"; "hit the exact center of the target" accurate - conforming exactly or almost exactly to fact or to a standard or performing with total accuracy; "an accurate reproduction"; "the accounting was accurate"; "accurate measurements"; "an accurate scale" literal - limited to the explicit meaning of a word or text; "a literal translation" perfect - being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish; "a perfect circle"; "a perfect reproduction"; "perfect happiness"; "perfect manners"; "a perfect specimen"; "a perfect day" precise - sharply exact or accurate or delimited; "a precise mind"; "specified a precise amount"; "arrived at the precise moment" inexact - not exact
	2.	exact - (of ideas, images, representations, expressions) characterized by perfect conformity to fact or truth ; strictly correct; "a precise image"; "a precise measurement" accurate, precise correct, right - free from error; especially conforming to fact or truth; "the correct answer"; "the correct version"; "the right answer"; "took the right road"; "the right decision"

exact

adjective

1. accurate, very, correct, true, particular, right, express, specific, careful, precise, identical, authentic, faithful, explicit, definite, orderly, literal, unequivocal, faultless, on the money (U.S.), unerring, veracious I can't remember the exact words he used.
accurate rough, loose, incorrect, careless, inaccurate, approximate, indefinite, imprecise, slovenly, inexact

2. meticulous, severe, careful, strict, exacting, precise, rigorous, painstaking, scrupulous, methodical, punctilious She is very punctual and very exact in her duties.

verb

1. demand, claim, require, call for, force, impose, command, squeeze, extract, compel, wring, wrest, insist upon, extort He has exacted a high price for his co-operation.

2. inflict, apply, impose, administer, mete out, deal out She exacted a terrible revenge on her attackers.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

exact

adjective

1. Conforming to fact:

accurate, correct, faithful, precise, right, rigorous, true, veracious, veridical.

2. Strictly distinguished from others:

precise, very.

3. Not deviating from correctness, accuracy, or completeness:

close, faithful, full, rigorous, strict.

4. Having no errors:

accurate, correct, errorless, precise, right, rigorous.

5. Being an exact amount or number:

even.

Idiom: on the nose.

6. Conforming completely to established rule:

rigorous, strict, uncompromising.

verb

1. To obtain by coercion or intimidation:

extort, squeeze, wrench, wrest, wring.

Slang: shake down.

2. To establish and apply as compulsory:

assess, impose, levy, put.

3. To ask for urgently or insistently:

call for, claim, demand, insist on (or upon), require, requisition.

Idiom: cry out for.

Translations

Spanish / Español

Select a language:

exacto exigir preciso imponer justo

exact

[ɪgˈzækt]

A. ADJ

1. (= precise) [number, copy, translation] → exacto; [meaning, instructions, time, amount, date, location] → exacto, preciso; [cause, nature] → preciso
his exact words were → lo que dijo, textualmente, era ...
to be exact, there were three of us → para ser exactos, éramos tres → en concreto, éramos tres
can you be more exact? → precise, por favor
to be an exact likeness of sth/sb → ser exactamente igual a algo/algn
until this exact moment → hasta este preciso momento
to be the exact opposite (of) → ser exactamente or justo lo contrario (de)
the exact same place/house (US) → exactamente el mismo sitio/la misma casa

2. (= meticulous) [description, analysis, scientist, work, study] → preciso, meticuloso; [instrument] → preciso

B. VT [+ money, payment, obedience, allegiance] (= demand) → exigir; (= obtain) → obtener (from de) [+ promise] → conseguir, arrancar; [+ taxes] → recaudar
to exact revenge → vengarse

C. CPD exact science N → ciencia f exacta
history is not an exact science → la historia no es una ciencia exacta
the exact sciences NPL → las ciencias exactas

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

exact

(igˈzӕkt) adjective

1. absolutely accurate or correct in every detail; the same in every detail; precise. What are the exact measurements of the room?; For this recipe the quantities must be absolutely exact; an exact copy; What is the exact time?; He walked in at that exact moment.exacto

2. (of a person, his mind etc) capable of being accurate over small details. Accountants have to be very exact.preciso, riguroso

verb

to force the payment of or giving of. We should exact fines from everyone who drops litter on the streets.exigir

exˈacting adjective

requiring much effort or work from a person. a very exacting job.exigente

exˈactly adverb

1. just; quite; absolutely. He's exactly the right man for the job.exactamente

2. in accurate detail; precisely. Work out the prices exactly; What exactly did you say?exactamente

3. used as a reply meaning `I quite agree'. justo, exactamente

exˈactness noun

exactitud

exact

→ exacto

exact

a. exacto-a;

adv. exactamente.

exact

adj exacto

References in classic literature ?

Laws embodied in differential equations may possibly be exact, but cannot be known to be so.

View in context

It is made up of accumulated tradition, kept alive by individual pride, rendered exact by professional opinion, and, like the higher arts, it spurred on and sustained by discriminating praise.

View in context

Nothing can be more curious than to see the channels and aqueducts that nature has formed in this hard rock, so exact and of such admirable contrivance, that they seem to be the work of men.

View in context

At last, to complete a series of minor indiscretions, at a meeting of our Local Speculative Society held at the palace of the Prefect himself, -- some extremely silly person having read an elaborate paper exhibiting the precise reasons why Providence has limited the number of Dimensions to Two, and why the attribute of omnividence is assigned to the Supreme alone -- I so far forgot myself as to give an exact account of the whole of my voyage with the Sphere into Space, and to the Assembly Hall in our Metropolis, and then to Space again, and of my return home, and of everything that I had seen and heard in fact or vision.

View in context

He was so exact that he was never in a hurry, was always ready, and was economical alike of his steps and his motions.

View in context

Yet is it possible, my friend, that thou mayest have seen all these without being able to form an exact idea of Sophia; for she did not exactly resemble any of them.

View in context

Look at it now, David--if you can see it from the doorway of this hut--and you will see that it is still in the exact center of the heavens.

View in context

"In any case, we request you will at once favor us with the most exact personal description that can be written of both the parties.

View in context

I reckoned our coach to be about a square of Westminster-hall, but not altogether so high: however, I cannot be very exact. One day the governess ordered our coachman to stop at several shops, where the beggars, watching their opportunity, crowded to the sides of the coach, and gave me the most horrible spectacle that ever a European eye beheld.

View in context

Here, as in the drawing-room, I have them always under my eyes, and they indicate my position and exact direction in the middle of the ocean.

View in context

At this point of inflation, it is in exact equilibrium with the air, and neither mounts nor descends.

View in context

What is the exact distance which separates the earth from its satellite?

View in context

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