Precisely means exactly, with perfect accuracy and no room for error. When you measure something precisely, you get it just right, down to the smallest detail. If a recipe calls for precisely two cups of flour, you level off the measuring cup perfectly instead of eyeballing it.

The word suggests careful attention and exactness. A watchmaker works precisely, placing tiny gears in exact positions. When you tell time precisely, you might say “3:47 and 23 seconds” instead of just “around quarter to four.”

People also use precisely to mean “exactly so” when they strongly agree with something. If your friend says “This math problem requires us to show our work step by step,” you might respond “Precisely!” to show you understand and agree completely.

The difference between precisely and words like “approximately” or “roughly” is important. Precisely means no guessing, no close enough. When engineers build a bridge, they need precise measurements. When you're telling a story about what time you got home, being approximate is usually fine.