The difference between Exact and Precise

When used as verbs, exact means to demand and enforce the payment or performance of, sometimes in a forcible or imperious way, whereas precise means to make or render precise.

When used as adjectives, exact means precisely agreeing with a standard, a fact, or the truth, whereas precise means exact, accurate.


Exact is also adverb with the meaning: exactly.

check bellow for the other definitions of Exact and Precise

  1. Exact as an adjective:

    Precisely agreeing with a standard, a fact, or the truth; perfectly conforming; neither exceeding nor falling short in any respect.

    Examples:

    "The clock keeps exact time."

    "He paid the exact debt."

    "an exact copy of a letter"

    "'exact accounts"

  2. Exact as an adjective:

    Habitually careful to agree with a standard, a rule, or a promise; accurate; methodical; punctual.

    Examples:

    "a man exact in observing an appointment"

    "In my doings I was exact."

  3. Exact as an adjective:

    Precisely or definitely conceived or stated; strict.

  4. Exact as an adjective (algebra, of a [[sequence]] of [[group]]s connected by [[homomorphism]]s):

    Such that the kernel of one homomorphism is the image of the preceding one.

  1. Exact as a verb (transitive):

    To demand and enforce the payment or performance of, sometimes in a forcible or imperious way.

    Examples:

    "to exact tribute, fees, or obedience from someone."

  2. Exact as a verb (transitive):

    To make desirable or necessary.

  3. Exact as a verb (transitive):

    To forcibly obtain or produce.

    Examples:

    "to exact revenge on someone"

  1. Exact as an adverb:

    exactly

    Examples:

    "She's wearing the exact same sweater as I am!"

  1. Precise as an adjective:

    exact, accurate

    Examples:

    "ant inexact imprecise"

  2. Precise as an adjective (sciences, of experimental results):

    consistent, clustered close together, agreeing with each other

    Examples:

    "ant inconsistent varying"

  3. Precise as an adjective:

    adhering too much to rules; prim or punctilious

  1. Precise as a verb (nonstandard, used by, _, NNES, or, in jargon, e.g. by the European Union, transitive):

    To make or render precise.