mot juste

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Gainsbourg is bilingual, but French is her first language; she pauses occasionally in our conversation to search around for le mot juste.

From The Guardian • Oct. 26, 2019

And as Barnum ended nearly a century of trying to edit that sense of wonder into the mot juste, he finally nailed it at the end.

From Washington Post • Oct. 18, 2019

In January, when PhD students jostle for jobs at the annual meeting of the American Economic Association, a “market” might seem the mot juste.

From Economist • Nov. 24, 2016

“Snoots are those who are nit-pickers for the mot juste, for using a word precisely the way it should be used,” he explained.

From New York Times • Jan. 19, 2015

And yet, that inner commotion was so violent, he felt a little bewildered about the mot juste.

From Grey Roses by Harland, Henry