Meaning and usage of the word exact in English

The word "exact" has its roots in Latin. The Latin word "exactus" means "taken out, taken away" or "fulfilled." This is because the Latin verb "exigere" means "to take out" or "to exact," and the suffix "-tus" is a past participle form. In Middle English, the adjective "exact" emerged in the 13th century, initially meaning "required, needed" or "demanded." Over time, its meaning shifted to "precise, accurate" in the 14th century. The word gained its modern sense of "strictly correct or conventional" in the 15th century. Throughout its linguistic evolution, "exact" has maintained its association with notions of precision, correctness, and completion. Today, the word is used in a wide range of contexts, from math and science to art and language.