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just

1
[juhst]
adjective
  1. guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness: We hope to be just in our understanding of such difficult situations.
  2. done or made according to principle; equitable; proper: a just reply.
  3. based on right; rightful; lawful: a just claim.
  4. in keeping with truth or fact; true; correct: a just analysis.
  5. given or awarded rightly; deserved, as a sentence, punishment, or reward: a just penalty.
  6. in accordance with standards or requirements; proper or right: just proportions.
  7. (especially in Biblical use) righteous.
  8. actual, real, or genuine.
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adverb
  1. within a brief preceding time; but a moment before: The sun just came out.
  2. exactly or precisely: This is just what I mean.
  3. by a narrow margin; barely: The arrow just missed the mark.
  4. only or merely: He was just a clerk until he became ambitious.
  5. actually; really; positively: The weather is just glorious.
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Idioms
  1. just so, neat and tidy; carefully arranged: My mother-in-law is very fussy; everything has to be placed just so.
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Origin of just

1
1325–75; Middle English < Latin jūstus righteous, equivalent to jūs law, right + -tus adj. suffix
Can be confusedgist jest just

Synonyms for just

1. upright; equitable, fair, impartial. 3. legitimate, legal. 4. accurate, exact; honest. 5. merited, appropriate, condign, suited, apt, due.

Antonyms for just

1. biased. 4. untrue. 5. unjustified.

just

2
[juhst]
noun, verb (used without object)
  1. joust.
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Related formsjust·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for juster

equitable, exactly, precisely, scarce, scarcely, barely, hardly, only, simply, but, aloof, blameless, conscientious, decent, dependable, dispassionate, due, equal, ethical, good

Examples from the Web for juster

Historical Examples of juster

  • It might be juster to say that they had all of them had more or less of occasion to find fault with him.

    Dr. Wortle's School

    Anthony Trollope

  • I answer this objection by substituting a juster idea of penetration.

  • Let me state the case from another and, I think, a juster angle.

  • It is not so; history supplies us with materials for a juster decision.

  • A juster appreciation of Montesquieu will be found in Cousin, Hist.

British Dictionary definitions for juster

just

adjective (dʒʌst)
    1. fair or impartial in action or judgment
    2. (as collective noun; preceded by the)the just
  2. conforming to high moral standards; honest
  3. consistent with justicea just action
  4. rightly applied or given; deserveda just reward
  5. legally valid; lawfula just inheritance
  6. well-founded; reasonablejust criticism
  7. correct, accurate, or truea just account
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adverb (dʒʌst, unstressed dʒəst)
  1. used with forms of have to indicate an action performed in the very recent pastI have just closed the door
  2. at this very instanthe's just coming in to land
  3. no more than; merely; onlyjust an ordinary car
  4. exactly; preciselythat's just what I mean
  5. by a small margin; barelyhe just got there in time
  6. (intensifier)it's just wonderful to see you
  7. informal indeed; with a vengeanceisn't it just
  8. just about
    1. at the point of starting (to do something)
    2. very nearly; almostI've just about had enough
  9. just a moment, just a second or just a minute an expression requesting the hearer to wait or pause for a brief period of time
  10. just now
    1. a very short time ago
    2. at this moment
    3. Southern African informalin a little while
  11. just on having reached exactlyit's just on five o'clock
  12. just so
    1. an expression of complete agreement or of unwillingness to dissent
    2. arranged with precision
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Derived Formsjustly, adverbjustness, noun

Word Origin for just

C14: from Latin jūstus righteous, from jūs justice

usage

The use of just with exactly (it's just exactly what they want) is redundant and should be avoided: it's exactly what they want
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for juster

just

adv.

"merely, barely," 1660s, from Middle English sense of "exactly, precisely, punctually" (c.1400), from just (adj.), and paralleling the adverbial use of French juste. Just-so story first attested 1902 in Kipling, from the expression just so "exactly that, in that very way" (1751).

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just

adj.

late 14c., "righteous in the eyes of God; upright, equitable, impartial; justifiable, reasonable," from Old French juste "just, righteous; sincere" (12c.), from Latin iustus "upright, equitable," from ius "right," especially "legal right, law," from Old Latin ious, perhaps literally "sacred formula," a word peculiar to Latin (not general Italic) that originated in the religious cults, from PIE root *yewes- "law" (cf. Avestan yaozda- "make ritually pure;" see jurist). The more mundane Latin law-word lex covered specific laws as opposed to the body of laws. The noun meaning "righteous person or persons" is from late 14c.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with juster

just

In addition to the idioms beginning with just

  • just about
  • just a minute
  • just as
  • just as soon
  • just deserts
  • just folks
  • just for the record
  • just in case
  • just in time
  • just like that
  • just now
  • just one of those things
  • just so
  • just the same
  • just the ticket
  • just what the doctor ordered

also see:

  • all (just) the same
  • get it (you just don't)
  • take it (just so much)

Also see underjustice.

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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.