adjunct

noun

ad·junct | \ ˈa-ˌjəŋ(k)t

Definition of adjunct

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : something joined or added to another thing but not essentially a part of it The website is designed as an adjunct to the book.

2 grammar

a : a word or word group that qualifies or completes the meaning of another word or other words and is not itself a main structural element in its sentence

b : an adverb or adverbial phrase (such as heartily in "They ate heartily" or at noon in "We left at noon") attached to the verb of a clause especially to express a relation of time, place, frequency, degree, or manner — compare disjunct sense 2

3a : an associate or assistant of another

b : an adjunct faculty member at a college or university (see adjunct entry 2 sense 2)

4 : adjuvant sense b

adjunct

adjective

ad·junct | \ ˈa-ˌjəŋ(k)t

Definition of adjunct (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : added or joined as an accompanying object or circumstance

2 : attached in a subordinate or temporary capacity to a staff an adjunct professor

Other Words from adjunct Synonyms Breaking Down Adjunct More Example Sentences Learn More about adjunct

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Other Words from adjunct

Noun

adjunctive \ a-ˈjəŋ(k)-tiv

, ə- \ adjective

Adjective

adjunctly \ ˈa-ˌjəŋ(k)-tlē

, -ˌjəŋk-lē \ adverb

Examples of adjunct in a Sentence

Noun

Because Joseph Ellis has been an outspoken critic of social and women's history, he appears a peculiar choice to write the foreword, despite his many publications on the Revolutionary era. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, he treats Abigail here more as her husband's adjunct and supporter than as her own woman. — Anthony Lewis, New York Times Book Review, 4 Nov. 2007 As an adjunct to its basic educational role, the public library will increasingly serve as an access point to the resources of other libraries as well as to nonlibrary sources of publicly available information. — Fred Lerner, The Story of Libraries, (1945) 1998 In A.D. 400 western Europe was merely a geographic expression. Roman civilization was centered on the Mediterranean, and France, England, and the Rhine valley were mere adjuncts of the Mediterranean world. — Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages, 1993 Massage therapy can be used as an adjunct along with the medication. In “They ate heartily,” the word heartily is an adjunct and in “We left at noon,” the phrase at noon is an adjunct.

Adjective

But it's Sainte-Marie's less-well-known life as a computer geek—and an adjunct professor of digital art, Native American studies, and philosophy at several universities—that brings her to midtown Manhattan today. — Ophira Edut, Ms., August/September 1999 There is a terrible shortage of jobs in the universities, where, increasingly, men and women with Ph.D.s hang on to various forms of underpaid adjunct posts. Believe me, it happens at Harvard, too. — Martin Peretz, New Republic, 5 July 1999 Using his chauffeur-driven car as an adjunct office, the designer shuttles among the design ateliers of his three major collections: the one that bears his name; Chanel, and, after a seven-year hiatus, Chloé. — Carrie Donovan, New York Times Magazine, 11 Oct. 1992 massage therapy as an adjunct treatment

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Qatar, by contrast, seems to use its fund as an adjunct to diplomacy. — The Economist, "Gulf states are becoming more adventurous investors," 14 June 2019 As tenure-track jobs have steadily declined, universities have grown more dependent on part-time labor from adjuncts and graduate students. — Ben Kesslen, NBC News, "The latest campus battle: graduate students are fighting to unionize," 8 June 2019 That’s my mission—to use my writing and public speaking as an adjunct to my basic mission of being a doctor. — Dana Corriel, SELF, "The Rise of the Social Media Doctor," 26 Apr. 2019 Vaccines have helped control many viral diseases, and drugs are important adjuncts for HIV, herpes and a few others. — William F. Bynum, WSJ, "‘Pandemic 1918’ and ‘Influenza’ Review: Fire, Ice or Virus?," 4 Jan. 2019 The trustees released the text of their budgetary requests through the 2020 fiscal year last week, which noted a tuition increase but made no mention of adjuncts, despite the protests. — Kim Kelly, Teen Vogue, "Education Workers on Campuses Around the Country Are Demanding Better Labor Conditions," 10 Jan. 2019 Their plight is common across the educational system, where adjuncts constitute 76.4% of U.S. faculty across all U.S. universities and colleges. — Kim Kelly, Teen Vogue, "Education Workers on Campuses Around the Country Are Demanding Better Labor Conditions," 10 Jan. 2019 Exotic Modern—that features some spectacular examples of Paul Poiret’s clothing, including his own princely dressing robe, displayed in the house itself, and French colonial-era art in the modern adjunct. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, "Hamish Bowles Makes the Most of His Trip to Tokyo for Valentino Pre-Fall—And Then Some," 2 Dec. 2018 Higher education is in a lot of trouble, barely kept on track by massive price increases, grade inflation that keeps the mostly inattentive customers sedated, and a class of academic serfs, called adjuncts, who work for meager wages. — John Leo, WSJ, "‘The University We Need’ Review: Rethinking College," 18 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Swayhoover lives in the Paradise neighborhood of Catonsville and teaches as an adjunct professor at Towson University. — Cody Boteler, baltimoresun.com, "New toy store on Frederick Road aims to build a 'Better World'," 11 June 2019 Jan Null, an adjunct professor of meteorology at San Jose State University, told USA TODAY earlier this year that heatstroke is the leading cause of death in vehicles for children ages 14 and under. — Vandana Ravikumar, USA TODAY, "'It is a tragedy': Kansas baby dies after being left for hour inside hot car," 11 June 2019 Mira Rapp-Hooper is a senior research scholar at the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale Law School and an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. — Mira Rapp-hooper, Washington Post, "The Singapore summit’s three big takeaways," 12 June 2018 Neri Zilber is a journalist based in Tel Aviv and an adjunct fellow of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. — Neri Zilber, Vox, "Israel and Iran’s escalating shadow war in Syria, explained," 25 Apr. 2018 Hoeller was hired in January 2017 as an adjunct instructor to teach a physics class and and lab, according to court records. — Darryl Enriquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Fired Carroll University instructor who called the Florida shooter his 'hero' found guilty of frightening staff," 14 May 2018 Burton has more than 31 years of experience in education at the elementary, middle, secondary and district levels and as an adjunct instructor at the college level, serving as an administrator since 1995. — Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "Princeton superintendent leaving for Denver school post," 11 May 2018 Rogan, who has a master of fine arts from UC Berkeley and is on the adjunct art faculty at both Mills College and the San Francisco Art Institute, also does seasonal work on a tourist ship sailing Antarctica. — Sam Whiting, SFChronicle.com, "Will Rogan gives the mast from his houseboat to his art," 27 June 2018 The company employs about 9,100 people at Grand Canyon University, 35 percent of whom are students and adjunct faculty. — Russ Wiles, azcentral, "Arizona CEOs earn about 80 times more than average workers at their companies," 13 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adjunct.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for adjunct

Noun

borrowed from Latin adjunctum "concomitant factor," from neuter of adjunctus adjunct entry 2

Adjective

borrowed from Latin adjunctus, past participle of adjungere "to link up, join, add, attach" — more at adjoin

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Dictionary Entries near adjunct

Statistics for adjunct

Last Updated

19 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for adjunct

The first known use of adjunct was in 1516

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More Definitions for adjunct

adjunct

noun

English Language Learners Definition of adjunct

(Entry 1 of 2)

: something that is joined or added to another thing but is not an essential part of it

grammar : a word or phrase (such as an adverb or prepositional phrase) that provides added information about the meaning of a verb in a sentence by expressing a relation of time, place, manner, etc.

adjunct

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of adjunct (Entry 2 of 2)

: added or joined in order to be used with something

: added to a teaching staff for only a short time or in a lower position than other staff

See the full definition for adjunct in the English Language Learners Dictionary

adjunct

noun

ad·junct | \ ˈaj-ˌəŋ(k)t