Adjust
verbTo alter or move something slightly so that it fits, works correctly, or suits a new situation.
How to spell adjust
6 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce adjust
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does adjust mean?
- verbTo alter or move something slightly so that it fits, works correctly, or suits a new situation.
Adjust in a sentence
-
She paused to adjust the rear-view mirror before driving off.
-
The bank agreed to adjust the monthly repayment to a lower figure.
Where does adjust come from?
Language of origin: French
Adjust came into English in the early 1600s from the French verb ajuster, meaning 'to fit together' or 'to arrange'. The French form descended from Old French ajoster and ultimately from Late Latin adiuxtare, which meant 'to bring near' or 'to put side by side', built from the prefix ad- 'to, towards' and iuxta 'near, beside' (the same root that gives us 'juxtapose'). Over time the spelling and sense were pulled towards the unrelated Latin word justus, meaning 'right' or 'proper', which is why the modern form looks as if it contains 'just' and carries a feeling of making something correct. The everyday meaning settled on altering something slightly so that it fits or works properly. That blend of 'bringing near' and 'making right' is a useful memory hook: the word is simply ad- placed in front of the familiar 'just'.
How the word is built
- ad- (to, towards)
- just (from Latin iuxta 'near', later reshaped by association with justus 'right, proper')
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