D. D. Eisenhower
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To exact something is to not only demand it, but also obtain it. The most common things exacted—revenge, retribution, and that ilk—often require physical force, but other things exacted—such as penalties and prices, promises and concessions—can be obtained with gentler forms of persuasion. The variation is present in the word’s Latin ancestor too: exigere means “to drive out; to demand; and to measure.” Do not confuse the verb exact with the more common verb extract. Extract is primarily about removing something, and need not involve a demand: a dentist extracts a tooth from (we hope) a willing patient, and extracting juice from an orange carries no connotation of insistence. Note, though, that there are cases in which either verb can be used: confessions, for example, are sometimes said to be exacted or extracted, with both typically implying significant effort by the one obtaining the confession.
Examples of exact in a Sentence
Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Thousands of miles of piping and wiring must meet exacting safety standards.
—Brad Plumer, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Astrology is a tool for self-empowerment, and your birth chart — an exact snapshot of the sky the day that you were born — is equivalent to a map, highlighting the environments and experiences that influence your life path.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exact
Cite this Entry
“Exact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exact. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exact
1 of 2 verb
exact
2 of 2 adjective
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