junior

1 of 2

adjective

ju·​nior ˈjün-yər How to pronounce junior (audio)
1
a
: less advanced in age : younger
used chiefly to distinguish a son with the same given name as his father
b(1)
(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

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
The Cougars are paced by 11 points from junior guard Cade Crutcher as RCHS has controlled the momentum for much of the game while playing all but two minutes with the lead. Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2024 Ventura’s Sadie Engelhardt, one of the nation’s top junior track and field and cross-country prospects, has committed to North Carolina State. . . Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 This would leave Kelsey A., a 25-year-old junior project manager from Louisiana, and Daisy, a 25-year-old account executive from Minnesota as the remaining two women. Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 11 Mar. 2024 Junior forward Wynton Brown led the way with 23 points, junior guard Zack Paulsen added 16 and a team-high seven rebounds, and junior guard Coby Barnes scored 11. Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 New Home was led by junior Caleb Cook, who scored a team high 17 points. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Mar. 2024 Yao Morin, chief technology officer of commercial real estate firm JLL, said that technology is often developed by decision-makers who envision what the tech should be versus technology that’s going to be a good fit for the more junior people who will ultimately use it. John Kell, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 That includes junior first-line winger Jack Stanius and top-tier defenseman Blake Eckerle. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2024 Among the tasks the junior chefs will face in the upcoming season are cooking a meal for the Harlem GlobeTrotters and meeting a waffle challenge. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 2 Mar. 2024
Noun
She was appointed the quality control producer for our weekly productions as a junior. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 King’s Academy junior Izzy Barrera batted 2 for 3 and had four RBIs. Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 Purcell Marian junior Dee Alexander named back-to-back Ms. Basketball winner. – New here? Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024 As a junior in 2019, Clark dropped 60 points during a game against Mason City (Iowa) High, which just happens to be Lewerke’s alma mater. Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Kent Denver junior Clay Tierney finished with 14 points and went 2 for 5 from the 3-point line. Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Leo, of course, is White Bear Lake junior Leo Gabriel, one of the state’s top netminders. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2024 Lassiter is a two-year starter in the SEC despite being a true junior. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 Voters have not expressed the same anxieties about Donald J. Trump, who at 77 is just four years Mr. Biden’s junior. Ruth Igielnik, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'junior.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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)

Time Traveler
The first known use of junior was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near junior

Cite this Entry

“Junior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/junior. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

junior

1 of 2 adjective
ju·​nior ˈjün-yər How to pronounce junior (audio)
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 How to pronounce junior (audio)
: of lower standing or rank
a junior lienholder

More from Merriam-Webster on junior

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