exact science

noun

A mathematical science, i.e. a field of science such as mathematics or mathematical physics which is capable of perfectly exact results based on rigorously formal methods.

“Jury selection isn't an exact science.”

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Meanings

nounexact science (plural exact sciences)

plural exact sciences

  1. strictlysciencesA mathematical science, i.e. a field of science such as mathematics or mathematical physics which is capable of perfectly exact results based on rigorously formal methods.
  2. broadlysciencesA field of science such as physics or chemistry that is not perfectly exact, but still capable of highly quantitative results based on methods that are not strictly rigorous, but still systematic and scrupulous.
  3. Used contrastively to characterize something as imprecise or relying on intuition or heuristics.

    Jury selection isn't an exact science.

    2 more examples

    It is not an exact science, but if England can play with such distinction again then nobody should be too concerned about everything going horribly wrong.

    2013 October 11, Daniel Taylor, The Guardian

    1967 Harry Levin, Why Literary Criticism Is Not an Exact Science (book title) (Harvard University Press)

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 精密科學 /精密科学, 精確科學 /精确科学
  • 精密科學 /精密科学 (jīngmì kēxué)field of science capable of quantitative expression
  • 精確科學 /精确科学 (jīngquè kēxué)field of science capable of quantitative expression
Dutch exacte wetenschap
  • exacte wetenschapfield of science capable of quantitative expression
Finnish eksakti tiede
  • eksakti tiedefield of science capable of quantitative expression
French science exacte, science dure
  • science exactefield of science capable of quantitative expression
  • science durefield of science capable of quantitative expression
German exakte Wissenschaft
  • exakte Wissenschaftfield of science capable of quantitative expression
Indonesian ilmu eksakta
  • ilmu eksaktafield of science capable of quantitative expression
Japanese 精密科学
  • 精密科学 (seimitsu kagaku)field of science capable of quantitative expression
Polish nauki ścisłe, nauka ścisła
  • nauki ścisłefield of science capable of perfectly exact results based on rigorously formal methods
  • nauka ścisłafield of science capable of quantitative expression
Portuguese ciências exatas, ciências exatas
  • ciências exatasfield of science capable of perfectly exact results based on rigorously formal methods
  • ciências exatasfield of science capable of quantitative expression
Russian то́чная нау́ка
  • то́чная нау́ка (tóčnaja naúka)field of science capable of quantitative expression
Spanish ciencias exactas, ciencia exacta
  • ciencias exactasfield of science capable of perfectly exact results based on rigorously formal methods
  • ciencia exactafield of science capable of quantitative expression
Cite this entry
APA

exact science. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exact%20science

MLA

“exact science.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exact%20science. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “exact science,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exact%20science.

Source: exact science on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.