not exactly

adverb
UK: /nɒt ɪɡˈzæktli/
US: /nɑːt ɪɡˈzæktli/

  1. Used to express that something is close to being correct or true, but not completely so.

    1. I'm not exactly sure what time the movie starts. [ ] [ ]
    2. That's not exactly what I meant, but it's close enough for this discussion. [ ] [ ]

  2. Used to express a mild disagreement or correction.

    1. Is this your car? Not exactly, it belongs to my mom. [ ] [ ]
    2. He's a doctor, right? Not exactly, he's still in medical school, but almost done. [ ] [ ]

  3. Used to soften a negative statement or response.

    1. Are you happy with the results? Not exactly, but I can live with them. [ ] [ ]
    2. Was the presentation a success? Not exactly a triumph, but it wasn't a complete failure either. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

almost kind of nearly sort of approximately

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "not exactly" in English means: Used to express that something is close to being correct or true, but not completely so., Used to express a mild disagreement or correction., Used to soften a negative statement or response..

The phonetic transcription of "not exactly" is /nɒt ɪɡˈzæktli/ in British English and /nɑːt ɪɡˈzæktli/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "not exactly": almost, kind of, nearly, sort of, approximately.

Example usage of "not exactly": "I'm not exactly sure what time the movie starts.". More examples on the page.