Definition

Adverb 1. At the last possible moment; with no time to spare: Happening or arriving immediately before it is too late, often avoiding a negative consequence.

Usage

The phrase "just in time" is used to describe an action or event that occurs at the very last possible moment before a deadline or before a problem arises. It emphasizes a narrow escape or perfect timing.

Examples

• The ambulance arrived just in time to save the injured hiker.
• I finished the report just in time for the 5 p.m. deadline.
• He caught the falling vase just in time before it hit the floor.

Advanced Usage

• Just-in-time (JIT): In business and manufacturing, this is a specific inventory strategy where materials or products are delivered or produced exactly when they are needed in the production process, minimizing storage costs.
  • The factory uses a just-in-time delivery system for its components.

Variants and Related Words

• In the nick of time: An idiom with an identical meaning to "just in time."
  • The firefighter rescued the cat in the nick of time.

Synonyms

• At the last minute
• In the nick of time
• At the eleventh hour

Antonyms

• Too late
• With time to spare
• Early

Related Idioms

• In the nick of time: At the last possible instant.
  • The goal was scored in the nick of time, just before the final whistle.

Adverb

1. at the last possible moment
   • she was saved in the nick of time