1
a
: having a basis in or conforming to fact or reason : reasonable
had just reason to believe he was in danger
b
: conforming to a standard of correctness : proper
just proportions
c
archaic
: faithful to an original
justly
adverb
Examples of just in a Sentence
Adjective
a just cause for war
The college treated the allegation with just seriousness.
They got their just punishment for the crime.
Adverb
The store has just the tool you need.
That's just what I expected.
You have to accept me just as I am.
This shirt fits just right.
She called him a liar and told him he was just like all the other men she'd met.
He was just here a minute ago.
She had just returned when he entered.
I was just going to telephone you!
She's just finishing a letter, and she'll be with you shortly.
I arrived just in time to see him win.
Recent Examples on the Web
Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Imm said the city needs a just cause to fire Theetge.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Oct. 2025
Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
There weren’t any real cows there, or crops, or chickens—just pixels.
—Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for just
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Adjective
With just days to go before FoodShare runs out of money, people who rely on Wisconsin's food assistance program are scrambling to make sense of their options.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Imm said the city needs a just cause to fire Theetge.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Oct. 2025
Adverb
The median luxury home, or a home in the top 5% price bracket, sold for $1,054,338 in the first half of 2025, up from just over $700,000 in 2020.
—Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
There weren’t any real cows there, or crops, or chickens—just pixels.
—Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for just
Cite this Entry
“Just.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/just. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
just
1 of 2 adjective1
a
: well-founded, reasonable
a just comment
b
: being in agreement with a standard of correctness : proper
a just price
2
a
: morally right or good : righteous
a just cause for war
b
: being deserved
just punishment
3
: legally right
a just title
justly
adverb
just
2 of 2 adverb
(ˌ)jəst 
(ˌ)jist,
(ˌ)jest
1
a
: exactly sense 1, precisely
just right
b
: very recently
the bell just rang
2
a
: by a small amount : barely
just over the line
b
: immediately sense 1, directly
just west of here
3
a
: nothing more than : only
just a note
b
: quite sense 1, very
just wonderful
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