exact

Universal Words adjective, verb adjective 1 correct in every detail; accurate: She gave an exact description of the attacker. * an exact copy / replica of the painting * We need to know the exact time the incident occurred. * What were his exact words? * She's in her mid-thirties-thirty-six to be exact. * The colours were an exact match. * He started to phone me at the exact moment I started to phone him (= at the same time). * The two men were exact contemporaries at university. * Her second husband was the exact opposite of her first (= completely different). 2 (of people) very accurate and careful about details SYNMETICULOUS 3 (of a science) using accurate measurements and following set rules: Assessing insurance risk can never be an exact science. exactness noun [U] verb [VN] ~ sth (from sb) (formal) 1 to demand and get sth from sb: She was determined to exact a promise from him. 2 to make sth bad happen to sb: Stress can exact a high price from workers (= can affect them badly). * He exacted (= took) a terrible revenge for their treatment of him. exaction noun [C,U] (formal)