just-in-time

noun

ˈjəst-in-ˈtīm 

often attributive

: a manufacturing strategy wherein parts are produced or delivered only as needed

Examples of just-in-time in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This industrial halt will be compounded by a global transportation freeze, as soaring jet and bunker fuel premiums ground commercial aviation and maritime shipping, effectively ending the era of low-cost, just-in-time logistics. —Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026

But the sector is reliant on just-in-time air freight, and routes have become longer and more expensive because of the Iran war’s disruption to Gulf air hubs, forcing some producers to discard as much as half of their flowers. —Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026

Abuwasel added that modern-day supply chains rely heavily on just-in-time logistics. —Emily Lorsch, NBC news, 2 Mar. 2026

Now, computer vision systems detect errors and software predicts equipment failures, pausing production and scheduling just-in-time maintenance. —IEEE Spectrum, 19 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for just-in-time

• aforetime
• allozyme
• anytime
• christmastime
• cybercrime
• dinnertime
• guggenheim
• isozyme
• lysozyme
• maritime
• mesenchyme
• overtime