adjustment

/əˈdʒʌstmənt/uh-JUHST-muhnt

/əˈdʒʌstmənt/uh-JUHST-muhnt

Meaningthe act of adjusting

Common meaning: a small change

adto, towardsSkeat, Concise Etymological Dictionary (1911), p. · scan
justnear, close besideSkeat, Concise Etymological Dictionary (1911), p. · scan
mentnoun ending: act or result

‘to, towards’ + ‘near, close beside’ → adjustment

Journey through time

Latinad- + iuxta‘to, towards + near, close beside’source
Late Latinadiuxtare‘put alongside’source
Old Frenchajoster‘ajuster, ajouster’source
Frenchajostersource
Middle Englishatustensource
Englishadjust‘alter slightly to make suitable’
Englishformed in English from adjustadjustment‘a small change’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from adjust + -ment.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), ADJUST, p.8 · scan

Roots

adiuxtare Late Latin “put alongside”
iuxta Latin “near, close beside”

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