exact

exact
1 of 2
verb
ex·;act ig-;zakt
exacted; exacting; exacts
Synonyms of exact
transitive verb

1
: to call for forcibly or urgently and obtain
from them has been exacted the ultimate sacrifice
—D. D. Eisenhower
2
: to call for as necessary or desirable
exactable
ig-;zak-t;-b;l
 adjective
exactor noun
 or less commonly exacter
ig-;zak-t;r
exact

2 of 2
adjective
1
: exhibiting or marked by strict, particular, and complete accordance with fact or a standard
2
: marked by thorough consideration or minute measurement of small factual details
exactness
ig-;zak(t)-n;s
 noun


Did you know?
Exact derives from a form of the Latin verb exigere, meaning "to drive out, to demand, or to measure." (Another descendant of exigere is the word exigent, which can mean "demanding" or "requiring immediate attention.") Exigere, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix ex- with the verb agere, meaning "to drive." Agere has been a prolific source of words for English speakers; it is the ancestor of agent, react, mitigate, and navigate, just to name a few. Incidentally, if you are looking for a synonym of the verb exact, you could try demand, call for, claim, or require.

Synonyms
Verb

call (for)
claim
clamor (for)
command
demand
enjoin
insist (on)
press (for)
quest
stipulate (for)
Adjective

accurate
bang on [chiefly British]
correct
dead-on
good
on-target
precise
proper
right
so
spot-on
true
veracious
Choose the Right Synonym for exact
Verb


demand, claim, require, exact mean to ask or call for something as due or as necessary.

demand implies peremptoriness and insistence and often the right to make requests that are to be regarded as commands.

demanded payment of the debt
claim implies a demand for the delivery or concession of something due as one's own or one's right.

claimed the right to manage his own affairs
require suggests the imperativeness that arises from inner necessity, compulsion of law or regulation, or the exigencies of the situation.

the patient requires constant attention
exact implies not only demanding but getting what one demands.

exacts absolute loyalty
Adjective


correct, accurate, exact, precise, nice, right mean conforming to fact, standard, or truth.

correct usually implies freedom from fault or error.

correct answers
socially correct dress
accurate implies fidelity to fact or truth attained by exercise of care.

an accurate description
exact stresses a very strict agreement with fact, standard, or truth.

exact measurements
precise adds to exact an emphasis on sharpness of definition or delimitation.

precise calibration
nice stresses great precision and delicacy of adjustment or discrimination.

makes nice distinctions
right is close to correct but has a stronger positive emphasis on conformity to fact or truth rather than mere absence of error or fault.

the right thing to do
Examples of exact in a Sentence
Verb
They would not rest until they had exacted revenge.
He was able to exact a promise from them.
Adjective
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Ten master’s students, mostly middle-age men and women, are listening and taking notes, awaiting their turn to present their thesis proposals before three exacting professors.
—Byemmet Livingstone, science.org, 3 Oct. 2024
The impetus for the sibling gathering in Blackpool, England, is the impending death of their exacting mother Veronica (Laura Donnelly).
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 30 Sep. 2024
Adjective
The exact timing and landfall location remain shifting targets, but officials stress that the powerful storm will bring flooding and wind damage virtually statewide.
—Jeff Weiner, Axios, 7 Oct. 2024
And determining the exact composition of the double-asteroid system, as well as the consequences of the DART mission, could help space agencies further refine the technology that could deflect asteroids from affecting Earth in the future.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024