mot juste /ˌməʊ ˈʒuːst $ ˌmoʊ-/ BrE AmE noun ( plural mots justes (same pronunciation) ) [countable] formal
[ Date: 1900-2000 ; Language: French ; Origin: 'exact word' ]
the/le mot juste exactly the right word or phrase:
She paused, searching for the mot juste.