overexact

English

Etymology

From over- +‎ exact.

Adjective

overexact (comparative more overexact, superlative most overexact)

1. Too exact; overscrupulous; pedantic; overprecise.
   • 1885, Ernest George Henham, The Methodist Review‎^[1], Phillips & Hunt, page 811:

     A chirp response to a conscientious challenger, a fling at some overexact and hypercritical examiner, a rumble of applause at the expense of "the college fellows" or in support of "old-time fire" have accompanied the canvassing of a case, and men have been "put through" In a fit of fervor not at all creditable to the candidate, the Conference, or the Church. But, happily, these incidents do not often occur in our day, and the tendency now is toward firm insistence upon thorough preparation and the man's ability to hold his own under the ordeal of examination.

   • 1899, Lucy H. Yates, Printers' Ink 1899-07-19: Volume 28, Issue 3‎^[2], Decker Communications Incorporated, Geo. P. Rowell and Company, page 29:

     The effort to account for every copy serves no real purpose, because the copies that are not counted often do the advertiser most good, while copies that are sold sometimes fail to ever meet a reader’s eye. The attempt to be overexact wastes much time, and the result is usually a statement that can be understood in several different ways.

   • 1901, Lucy H. Yates, The New York Times 1901-06-02: Volume 50 Magazine Supplement‎^[3], The New York Times Company, page 20:

     “We have ne’er been aught else to my knowledge, master John. There's aye been more spending on eating and drinking in the cottages than in this house I've always said: not but what I'm ready to do whatever thou sayst has to be done."’ There was a touch of indignation in her voice, for it had long been a sore point with her that her master had the name for being overexact in his dealings, while she knew that not one of the workers would have denied themselves as he had done. Some had not hesitated to call him mean because there was no coming and going of guests, no carriage kept, and only herself with a young lass for the serving staff in the big stone house.

   • 1903, James Ewing, Clinical Pathology of the Blood‎^[4], Lea Brothers & Company, page 34:

     Each of these instruments has its proper field to which it should be restricted, and as the hematocrit is not overexact in its immediate object, it is unscientific to introduce a second source of error, as is done in attempting to, compute the number of red cells from their volume.

   • 1910, Gilbert Holland Stewart, Legal Medicine‎^[5], The Bobbs-Merrill Company, page 30:

     The manner also of a witness goes far to inspire confidence or distrust in his testimony. He should not proceed in an equivocal, halting manner, but use affirmative terms or his testimony will not receive that degree of credit which it will if he coolly, firmly and candidly, without any real or apparent prejudice or hesitation, states distinctly what he knows and upon what his knowledge is founded. If his manner upon the witness stand is open and free from that peculiar restraint and nervousness which is often the attendant of an honest witness and usually is supposed to characterize the interested or dishonest witness, and if he can give a clear and complete reason for his statements, then he will be believed. If, on the other hand, he is overexact or very loose in his statements, reluctant or unable to give a good reason for what he says, he will be distrusted and discredited.

   • 1914, Elnora Whitman Curtis, The Dramatic Instinct in Education‎^[6], Houghton Mifflin Company, page 41:

     It is the teacher, naturally, who must lead in breaking through the restraint-and conventionality of the schoolroom. To some, the opportunity for doing this is welcome. But the teacher who is not sensible of the advantages of delicate sentiment and suggestion, who bases her instruction on hard, definite statement of fact only, who would sacrifice spirit and originality for overexact reproductions of content, is little likely to succeed in work of this character.

   • 1915, Benjamin Dunville, The Fundamentals of Psychology:A Brief Account of the Nature and Development of Mental Processes‎^[7], Clive, page 70:

     In one case, for instance, the subjective factors were tampered with beforehand by calling out a word different from the " word " to be shown, but of similar meaning, the subject of the experiment understanding fully what was being done. Thus verbati was shown, word for word having been previously called out. The latter called up in the mind of the subject (as he declared afterwards) the word exactly, which he thus expected to see. He actually perceived the word overexact, and stated definitely that he saw all the letters!