Meaning & use
just-in-time
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a nounbusiness
Relating to a system in which goods are made or delivered only as they are needed, so little is kept in storage.
Grammar: Comes before the noun it describes: a just-in-time system, just-in-time production.
Patterns
- just-in-time production
- a just-in-time system
- just-in-time delivery
The factory switched to just-in-time production to cut the cost of holding stock.
Under a just-in-time system, parts arrive at the plant only hours before they are used.
Their just-in-time approach saves money but leaves no room for delays.
phrasefixed phrase
At the exact moment something is needed, often only just before it is too late.
Grammar: Used as an adverbial phrase after a verb: arrive just in time, finish just in time.
Patterns
- arrive just in time
- just in time for something
- just in time to do something
We got to the station just in time to catch the last train.
She finished the report just in time for the meeting.
The ambulance arrived just in time.
Common combinations
- just-in-time production
- Just-in-time production reduced the amount of money tied up in warehouses.
- just-in-time delivery
- Just-in-time delivery means suppliers send parts as the assembly line needs them.
- a just-in-time system
- A just-in-time system can fail badly if one supplier is late.
- just in time for something
- The rain stopped just in time for the outdoor concert.
- just in time to do something
- He woke up just in time to hear the announcement.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- just-in-time manufacturing noun
- The practice of making goods only as orders require, keeping little stock.
Commonly confused: just-in-time or in time?
just-in-time vs in time
"In time" means early enough, without the idea of being at the very last moment; "just in time" adds the sense of barely making it.
Practice
Which sentence uses "just-in-time" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"Just-in-time" is hyphenated when it comes before a noun, so "just-in-time production" is correct. Option 2 misses the hyphens in this position, option 3 uses it as a noun without a following noun, and option 4 wrongly uses "for" with a base verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “just-in-time”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.