just

Just is a common English word with multiple functions and meanings. As an adverb, it can mean exactly or very recently, as in “the timing was just perfect” or “I just finished.” It can also mean only or merely, as in “that is just a rumor” or “she is just a child.” As an adjective, it describes fairness or rightful quality, as in “a just decision” or “they fought for a just cause.” The word appears in phrases meaning approximateness or emphasis, such as “just about,” and in time-related expressions like “just in time.”

Etymology traces just to the Latin iustus, via Old French just, through Middle English. The sense related to fairness and law connects to the idea of being righteous or rightful, while many adverbial uses stem from notions of exactness, immediacy, or sufficiency.

Senses and usage: The adverbial uses cover precision (exactly), recency (recently), limitation (only), and emphasis (intensification). The adjectival sense conveys moral or legal rightness. Some senses carry politeness or hedging, for example using just to soften a statement or avoid absolutes. In formal writing, just is sometimes avoided as a filler or intensifier, depending on style. Related forms include justify, justified, and justification, which share the same root, and the noun justice, which denotes the broader concept of fairness and the legal system.

See also: Justice; Justification; Just deserts.