just
754
wanted. (compare That's not quite what I wanted.) | She looks just like her mother: | He makes just as much money as you do. | Just what do you mean by that remark? (shows annoyance) | The accident was serious, but we can't yet tell just how serious. | That's just my luck! (=exactly the sort of bad luck I always have) | That ladder is just the thing (=exactly what is needed) for picking apples. 2 only; no more than: Just a little more, please. | She's just a child. | Just a moment! (=Wait a moment!) | I don't want any dinner, just coffee. | Answer me, don't just stand there laughing. | Just listen to this! (used to make a command stronger) 3 a) only a short time ago; only now and not sooner: You're too late; the train's just left. | I've just been reading a very interesting book. | I'd just got into bed when the phone rang. | (BrE) It's just gone 8 o'clock. | (AmE) It just turned 8 o'clock. → see USAGE b) starting to; on the point of: I'm just coming. | He's just about to leave. c) (with words about time) only a little: They left just before/just after Christmas. | It lasted just over two hours. 4 (often with only) almost not; hardly: The line is just over/just under three centimetres long. | The skirt comes just below my knees. | I can only just lift it. (=it's almost too heavy) | We got there just in time to save him. | He arrived on time, just. 5 in a way that offers no other choice or possibility; simply: If you can't come tomorrow, we'll just have to postpone the meeting till next week. | I don't know where that book is – it seems to have just disappeared. 6 infml completely; very: That's just perfect. | Isn't that just beautiful! 7 just about almost; very nearly: 'Have you finished?' 'Just about.' | We were just about ready to leave when it started snowing. 8 just as soon rather, prefer (to): I'd just as soon do it tomorrow. | I'd just as soon have the yellow one. 9 just as well a) lucky or suitable: It's just as well I brought my coat – it's freezing in here! b) (with may, might etc) with good reason, considering the situation: Since there's no more work to do, we might just as well go home. 10 just now a) a moment ago: Paul telephoned just now. b) at this moment: We're having dinner just now – can you come back later? 11 BrE just on nearly; almost exactly: just on 90 years ago | It's just on ten past six. 12 just so also quite so – BrE fml yes; I agree 13 just so tidy; with everything in its proper place: I like my house to be just so. 14 just yet [only in negatives] not right away: I can't leave just yet. → see also just the same (SAME¹)
USAGE Just, already, and yet were at one time not used with the simple past tense when speaking of time. But expressions like: The bell just rang. | I already saw him. | Did you eat yet? are common in informal American English. It is still considered more correct in British English to say The bell has just rung. | I've already seen him. | Have you eaten yet?
just² /dʒʌst/ adj 1 morally right and proper; fair: a just man/decision | I don't think you were being just in punishing him but not her. | It's only just that we should get some compensation. 2 get one's just deserts to be treated as one deserves, especially by being punished: Don't worry, he'll get his just deserts one of these days! —ly adv: justly deserved criticism —ness n [U]
justice /dʒʌstɪs/ n 1 [U] the quality of being just; fairness: They have at last received compensation, so justice has been done. (=they have been treated fairly) | He claimed – with justice – that he had not received his fair share. (=his claim was right) | I wouldn't dispute the justice of his remarks. → opposite INJUSTICE; see also POETIC JUSTICE 2 [U] the action or power of the law: The police do all they can to bring criminals to justice. (=catch them and bring them to be tried in court) | a court of justice 3 [C] (often cap.) a judge in a law court: Mr Justice Smith (=a judge's official name) → see also CHIEF JUSTICE 4 do justice to someone/something also do someone/something justice — to treat in a fair or proper way; get the best results from: She cooked a delicious dinner, but we couldn't really do it justice (=eat enough of it) because we'd eaten too much already. | She didn't do herself justice in the exam. (=did not answer the questions as well as she could have)
CULTURAL NOTE Justice is often represented by a woman who has her eyes covered, and has SCALES in one hand and a sword in the other. This represents the idea that justice should treat everyone equally, examine (or 'weigh')
all the EVIDENCE, decide whether it shows that the person is guilty or not, and punish those who are guilty. In London there is a famous STATUE of Justice on the Old Bailey, the main court for criminal cases in London.
Justice of the 'Peace abbrev. JP n someone who judges less serious cases in small law courts. In the US, a