just-in-time

IPA/ˌdʒʌst ɪn ˈtaɪm/
IPA/ˌdʒʌst ɪn ˈtaɪm/

just-in-time — adjective

1. describes a production method in which materials or parts are shipped or made on

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a production method in which materials or parts are shipped or made only at the moment they are needed, so that a company can reduce waste and avoid paying for extra storage.

Example

The Toyota factory in Kentucky runs on a just-in-time system, receiving parts every few hours.

typical collocation: just-in-time system

A just-in-time manufacturing approach helped the furniture workshop cut its storage costs by half.

collocation: just-in-time manufacturing

Common collocations
  • just-in-time system
  • just-in-time manufacturing
  • just-in-time production
  • just-in-time delivery
  • just-in-time inventory
Synonyms
  • on-demand

    broader term; describes any service or product provided only when requested, not limited to manufacturing

  • lean

    refers to a wider philosophy of minimising waste across all operations, not just timing of deliveries

Antonyms
  • just-in-case

    describes the opposite approach: keeping large amounts of stock on hand to prepare for unexpected demand

Grammar Patterns

just-in-time + noun

Usage Note

This adjective is almost always used before a noun (attributive position). Common noun partners include 'system', 'manufacturing', 'production', 'delivery', and 'inventory'. Often shortened to JIT in business writing.

Common Mistakes

I arrived just-in-time for the bus.
I arrived just in time for the bus.
Without hyphens, 'just in time' is an adverbial phrase about timing. With hyphens, 'just-in-time' is a compound adjective or noun about manufacturing methods.

just-in-time — noun

Word family

  • JIT
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These three terms all describe approaches to reducing waste in production, but they differ in scope. 'JIT' (just-in-time) is the narrowest: it focuses on timing — delivering or producing parts exactly when needed. 'Lean manufacturing' is a broader philosophy that includes JIT as one tool, covering areas such as worker empowerment, continuous improvement, and quality control. 'Zero-inventory strategy' emphasises the outcome rather than the timing: it aims to hold no stock at all, which may involve JIT but could also use other methods such as drop-shipping. In business writing, you will most often see 'JIT' used interchangeably with just-in-time. 'Lean' is more common when describing the entire company culture rather than just the supply chain.

JITlean manufacturingzero-inventory strategy

Common collocations

Nouns

  • just-in-time system
  • just-in-time manufacturing
  • just-in-time production
  • just-in-time delivery
  • just-in-time inventory

Phrases

  • under just-in-time
  • switch to just-in-time
  • rely on just-in-time

Etymology

JapaneseEnglish

The term 'just-in-time' originated in Japan in the 1950s and 1960s as part of the Toyota Production System, developed by Taiichi Ohno. Instead of building large warehouses of spare parts, Toyota arranged for suppliers to deliver components 'just in time' for them to be used on the assembly line. The phrase entered English business vocabulary in the 1970s and 1980s as Western companies studied Japanese manufacturing methods.

First known use

1977

1977, in the meaning defined above