junior

1 of 2

adjective

ju·​nior ˈjün-yər 

1

a

: less advanced in age : younger

—used chiefly to distinguish a son with the same given name as his father

b(1)

: youthful

(2)

: designed for young people and especially adolescents

c

: of more recent date and therefore inferior or subordinate

a junior lien

2

: of or relating to juniors or the class of juniors at an educational institution

the junior prom

3

a

: lower in standing or rank

junior partners

b

: duplicating or suggesting on a smaller scale something typically large or powerful

a junior gale

junior

2 of 2

noun

1

a(1)

: a person who is younger than another

a man six years my junior

(2)

: a male child : son

(3)

: a young person

b

: a clothing size for women and girls with slight figures

2

a

: a student in the next-to-the-last year before graduating from an educational institution

b

: a person holding a lower position in a hierarchy of ranks

3

capitalized : a member of a program of the Girl Scouts for girls in the third through sixth grades in school

Synonyms

Adjective

• inferior
• less
• lesser
• lower
• minor
• smaller
• subordinate

Noun

• inferior
• subordinate
• underling

Examples of junior in a Sentence

Adjective

She is a junior partner in the law firm.

junior advisers to the governor

Noun

They are my juniors in rank.

She's a junior at the state college.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

All's well that ends well for the Liars, who appeared to finally pass summer school, paving the way for junior year. —Lauren Huff, EW.com, 20 June 2024

Also playing well for Jones were receivers senior Walki Ambroise and junior newcomer Larry Miles. —Chris Hays, Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2024

Noun

Joy Behar pulled no punches came to discussing Bill Belichick’s relationship with ex-collegiate cheerleader Jordon Hudson, nearly 50 years his junior. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 21 June 2024

Bobby Connor, ’67, Mount Saint Joseph: A three-sport standout, the sharpshooting 6-2 guard averaged 17.9 points as a junior and then 25.7 in his senior year. —Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin, comparative of juvenis young — more at young

Noun

Latin, noun & adjective

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing junior

• junior college
• junior high school
• junior miss
• junior school
• junior varsity
• lieutenant junior grade

Kids Definition

junior

1 of 2 adjective

ju·​nior ˈjün-yər 

1

a

: being the younger one

—used chiefly to distinguish a son with the same given name as his father

b

: designed for young teenagers

2

: lower in standing or rank

junior partner

3

: of or relating to juniors in a school

junior

2 of 2 noun

1

: a person who is younger or of lower rank than another

2

: a student in the next-to-last year in a high school, college, or university

Legal Definition

junior

adjective

ju·​nior ˈjü-nyər 

: of lower standing or rank

a junior lienholder