Exactest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. the utmost level of precision or accuracy that can be reached in measurement or performance the most comprehensive and perfect depiction or implementation achievable in detail the highest degree of thoroughness and clarity in understanding or expression
2. The greatest possible level of accuracy or detail attainable in any measurement or description
3. The supreme extent of precision that can be achieved when performing a task or portraying something

Etymology: "Exactest" is simply the superlative of "exact", built by adding the suffix "-est" to the adjective. "Exact" comes from the Latin "exactus", the past participle of "exigere", meaning "to drive out, finish, or weigh precisely", a verb that combined "ex-" (out) with "agere" (to drive or do). The sense of accurate measurement, of something driven out to completion with nothing left over, is what English inherited. The "-est" ending is the ordinary English marker of the superlative, the same ending found in "smallest" or "fastest". Because "exact" is already a full adjective, English usually forms its superlative with "most" instead, which is why "most exact" is the more common choice in careful writing. "Exactest" remains a legitimate, if less usual, form that turns up in informal speech.

Synonyms: most precise, most accurate

Antonyms: least precise, least accurate