adjunct

noun ad·junct \ ˈa-ˌjəŋ(k)t \

|Updated on: 6 Jun 2018

Editor's Note: Breaking Down adjunct

Definition of adjunct

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 2

3 a : an associate or assistant of another

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

4 : adjuvant b

—

adjunctive

play \a-ˈjəŋ(k)-tiv, ə-\ adjective

See adjunct defined for English-language learners

See adjunct defined for kids

Examples of adjunct in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of adjunct from the Web

The best sense anyone can make of Britain’s modestly rising maritime ambitions is that the Royal Navy, including its showpiece carriers, hopes to be a useful adjunct to the American one.

— The Economist, "Britain’s Royal Navy has big ambitions—but a small budget," 31 May 2018
In the second classroom, IUN adjunct professors Jana Szostek and Todd Conover discussed law careers with prospective students around a long conference table.

— sue ellen ross, Post-Tribune, "IUN offers students an Inside Look," 4 May 2018
While one of those units involved tenured and tenure-track professors, the rest were constituted of contingent faculty - adjuncts, lecturers and graduate assistants who teach college classes.

— gregory pratt, chicagotribune.com, "Adjunct faculty at Loyola University Chicago ratify first contract," 27 Apr. 2018
The former adjunct professor defeated a candidate supported by members of the Northwest Coalition, a powerful alliance of politicians who helped elect Kenney.

— holly otterbein, Philly.com, "Will Philly's Democratic establishment stand strong or fall on Election Day?," 10 May 2018
Peterson has also taught in the Hamilton Schools, was an adjunct early childhood instructor at Miami University and served as director of curriculum in both Talawanda Schools and Columbus Montessori Education Center.

— sue kiesewetter, Cincinnati.com, "Middletown's Creekview Elementary gets a new principal," 9 May 2018
At many schools, this practice amounts to replenishing one’s own stable of adjuncts, an unconscionable move.

— rachel vorona cote, The New Republic, "Volunteers of the Ivory Tower," 1 May 2018
In the early 1990s, the FDA approved experiments in which MDMA was used as an adjunct to psychotherapy.

— susan scutti, CNN, "MDMA enhances treatment for veterans with PTSD, study finds," 1 May 2018
Most of the activism has been sparked by graduate students, as well as adjunct and nontenured faculty members who fill larger proportions of university teaching jobs.

— dawn rhodes, chicagotribune.com, "As pay and benefits stagnate, nontenured faculty and graduate students in Illinois, Chicago look to unions," 19 Apr. 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.

Breaking Down adjunct

With its prefix, ad-, meaning "to or toward", adjunct implies that one thing is "joined to" another. A car wash may be operated as an adjunct to a gas station. An adjunct professor is one who's attached to the college without being a full member of the salaried faculty. And anyone trying to expand his or her vocabulary will find that daily reading of a newspaper is a worthwhile adjunct to actual vocabulary study.

Origin and Etymology of adjunct

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1554

in the meaning defined at sense 3a

See Words from the same year

adjunct Synonyms

Synonyms

accessory (also accessary), accoutrement (or accouterment), adapter (also adaptor), add-on, appendage, appliance, attachment, option;

Near Antonyms

essential, necessity, requirement, requisite;

auxiliary, subsidiary;

amenity, doodad, extra, filler, frill, incidental, luxury, nonessential, nonnecessity;

appurtenances, bells and whistles, equipment, furnishings, paraphernalia, trappings;

adornment, decoration, embellishment, enhancement, ornament, trim, trimming;

adjunct

adjective ad·junct \ ˈa-ˌjəŋ(k)t \

Definition of adjunct

1 : added or joined as an accompanying object or circumstance

2 : attached in a subordinate or temporary capacity to a staff

an adjunct professor

—

adjunctly

play \ˈa-ˌjəŋ(k)-tlē, -ˌjəŋk-lē\ adverb

See adjunct defined for English-language learners

Examples of adjunct in a Sentence

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 of adjunct from the Web

In retirement, Keith served as adjunct professor of electronics at the University of Hartford, CT, and as an engineering consultant.

— courant.com, "Edward Keith Howell," 27 May 2018
Carrie Cordero, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, pointed out on Twitter that the Justice Department doesn’t open investigations for political purposes.

— emily stewart, Vox, "Trump says he’ll demand the Justice Department probe whether the FBI spied on his campaign," 20 May 2018
Ebke, an adjunct political science professor, said breaking ties with the GOP has allowed her to work with senators from both parties at a time when the Legislature is often gridlocked.

— grant schulte, The Seattle Times, "Nebraska GOP targets former ally who switched to Libertarian," 13 May 2018
Weiss is also an adjunct professor at LSU, which owns the land where LIGO operates in Livingston.

— wilborn p. nobles iii, NOLA.com, "Nobel laureate Rainer Weiss to speak at LSU science school graduation," 8 May 2018
Ely is an attorney for the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund, one of the state's SGOs, and is an adjunct tax professor in the University of Alabama's Graduate Accounting program.

— trisha powell crain, AL.com, "$30 million in AAA tax credits already claimed for 2018," 27 Apr. 2018
At the other sit schools like Cedarville or the Franciscan University of Steubenville, which fired an adjunct professor in 2017 for being insufficiently pro-life.

— sarah jones, The New Republic, "The Invisible Free Speech Crisis," 10 Apr. 2018
The bride’s mother is an adjunct English instructor at the City College of New York.

— New York Times, "Mollie Miller, Paul Glenn," 6 May 2018
In December, Knight was arrested on charges of offenses against computer users, accused of cybersnooping on Grace Carricarte, a therapist and adjunct professor at the University of Miami.

— elizabeth cohen, CNN, "In #MeToo era, a call for more scrutiny of doctors who get arrested," 2 May 2018

Origin and Etymology of adjunct

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1516

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis

ADJUNCT Defined for English Language Learners

adjunct

noun

Definition of adjunct for English Language Learners

: 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.