exact science

English

Noun

exact science (plural exact sciences)

  1. (sciences, strictly) 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.
  2. (sciences, broadly) A 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 are not strictly rigorous, but still systematic and scrupulous.
  3. (litotes, chiefly in the negative) Used contrastively to characterize something as imprecise or relying on intuition or heuristics.
    Jury selection isn't an exact science.
    • 2013 October 11, Daniel Taylor, The Guardian‎:
      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.
    • 1967 Harry Levin, Why Literary Criticism Is Not an Exact Science (book title) (Harvard University Press)

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