[f. L. exact- ppl. stem of exigĕre, f. ex out + agĕre to drive. The lit. sense is thus ‘to drive or force out’; hence the various derivative senses ‘to demand, require’; ‘to try, weigh accurately’; ‘to complete, bring to perfection’; with other significations not retained in the English derivative.]
1. trans. To demand and enforce the payment of (fees, money, taxes, tolls, penalties, etc.); to extort. Const. from, of, † on, † upon.
1529. More, Supplic Soulys, Wks. 308/1. The freres quarterage, which he sayd that thei exacte of euery houshold.
1531. in W. H. Turner, Select Rec. Oxford, 102. The Mayre … and Burgesses … exact apon them … tolls.
1548. Forrest, Pleas. Poesy, in Starkey’s England, App. 95. Too reyse his Rent alas it neadethe not or fyne texact for teanure of the same.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxviii. 164. Where a Law exacteth a Pecuniary mulct.
1661. Marvell, Corr., Wks. 1872–5, II. 68. In it [the Patent] none of those fees or summs exacted are specifyd.
1703. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus., 4. They take occasion to exact from Passengers, especially Franks, arbitrary and unreasonable sums.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, I. vi. Flatterers … exact the same taxes on all below them which they themselves pay to all above them.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Voy. to Eng., Wks. (Bohn), II. 14. This seafaring people … exacted toll … from the ships of all other peoples.
† b. To require or enforce the surrender of (an object). Obs.
1655–60. Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 468/2. His [Protagoras’] Books burnt…. After that they had been diligently exacted of all that had any of them.
c. loosely. To inflict (vengeance). Const. against, from.
1858. Froude, Hist. Eng., III. xii. 3. The revenge which he would one day exact against his uncle.
1874. Green, Short Hist., ii. 65. The King angrily bade him exact vengeance from the town.
† d. With personal obj. To extort money, etc., from; to oppress with exactions. Obs.
1534. Act 26 Hen. VIII., c. 6 § 2. The officers … unlawfully exacted the Kinges subiectes.
1597. Daniel, Civ. Wares, III. lxxxix. The poor concussed state Shall ever be exacted for supplies.
2. To require by force or with authority the performance of (duty, labor, etc.), the concession of (anything desired); to insist upon. Const. from, of; in early use sometimes with clause or inf. as obj.
1564. Golding, trans. Justine (1570), 87. The common people importunately exacted to haue all dettes clerely released.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 97. The courtesie which I exact of you.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., I. v. C 2 b.
| Sound lowder musick: let my breath exact, | |
| You strike sad Tones vnto this dismall act. |
1638. R. West, in Jonsonus Virbius, 56. But thou exact’st our best houres industrie.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low-C. Warrs, 175. All the Wealth is almost in their Hands, whereof an Account is exacted.
1690. Norris, Beatitudes, 146. A Precept…. Too perfect to be severely exacted in that Infant Age.
1754. Sherlock, Disc. (1759), I. iii. 95. He [Christ] came … to exact Obedience from every Creature.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 235. Ever since the reign of Elizabeth the oath of supremacy had been exacted from members of the House of Commons.
1863. Fr. A. Kemble, Resid. in Georgia, 39. Fits and hard labor in the fields, unpaid labor, labor exacted with stripes—how do you fancy that?
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), IV. xvii. 91. William exacted strict attendance at divine service from all his company.
3. Of circumstances, conditions, dignities, etc.: To render becoming, desirable, necessary or unavoidable; to call for, demand, require. Const. from, of, rarely with direct personal obj. and inf.
1592. West, Symbol., § 56. C ij b. Then followeth the drawing of such Instruments in forme … as the qualitie of the fact or contract exacteth.
1601. Bp. Barlow, Serm. Paules Crosse, B vij. The crowne exacteth of vs reuerence.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., II. ii. D j b. Our state exactes, Our subiects not alone to beare, but praise our acts.
1661. Boyle, Scept. Chem., V. 285. I must withhold my Beliefe from their assertions, till their Experiments exact it.
1672. Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.), Rehearsal (1714), 47. The place you fill, has more than amply exacted the Tallents of a wary Pilot.
1683. D. A., Art Converse, 18. Their gray hairs exact of us a particular respect.
1853. C. Brontë, Villette, xxx. (1876), 344. No form of friendship under the sun had a right to exact such a concession.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. xxxi. 423. The scurvy exacts a comfortable temperature and a drying one.
† 4. intr. To practise exactions, impose contributions. Const. on, upon. Also in indirect pass.
c. 1591. in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden), 78. Gevinge to the nobilitie … vnjuste … libertie to exact on the baser sorte of people.
1611. Bible, Ps. lxxxix. 22. The enemie shall not exact vpon him.
a. 1619. Daniel, Coll. Hist. Eng. (1621), 35. He was again informed … how he exacted upon the Normans.
1679. in Gutch, Coll. Cur., I. 276. Others were exacted upon in what they bought.
1687. Burnet, Trav., ii. (1750), 86. Innkeepers think they have a right to exact upon Strangers.
1727. Swift, Modest Proposal, Wks. 1755, II. II. 67. To cheat and exact upon us in the price, the measure, and the goodness.
5. trans. In etymological sense: To force out, extract. arch.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, II. xliv. (1647), 103. It passeth my Chymistry to exact any agreement herein out of the contrariety of writers.
1674. Govt. Tongue, vi. § 23. 84. We do like witches with their Magical Chymistry, exact all the venem.
1883. R. Bridges, Prometheus (1884), 6. He next withdrew The seeds of fire that else had still lain hid In … the blue flakes of flint For man to exact and use.
6. In various occasional uses: † a. To interpret rigorously (obs.). † b. To render exact, finish, perfect (obs.). c. nonce-use (after L. exigere). To produce (a work of art).
1646. J. Gregory, Notes & Observ. (1650), 27–8. This [Matt. ii. 12] is a strange Phrase, if it should be exacted by our manner of expressing.
1669. Barrow, in Rigaud, Corr. Sci. Men (1841), II. 67. I have tore out some leaves … which I shall send you somewhat more exacted.
1870. Ruskin, Lect. Art, iii. (1875), 70. I think the ‘Dunciad’ is the most absolutely chiselled and monumental work ‘exacted’ in our country.
7. Law. (See quots.)
1607. Cowell, Interpr., s.v. Exigent, This writ … seemeth to be called an Exigent because it exacteth the party, that is, requireth his expearance or forthcomming, to answer the lawe.
1769. Blackstone, Comm., III. 283. A writ of exigent or exigi facias … which requires the sheriff to cause the defendant to be proclaimed, required, or exacted, in five county courts successively, to render himself;… if he does not appear, he shall then be outlawed.
transf. 1858. Hogg, Life Shelley, I. 289. Shelley … ought to have been exacted five times … before the outrageous sentence of outlawry was passed against him.
