junior

play

adjective ju·nior \ ˈjün-yər \

Definition of junior

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

See junior defined for English-language learners

See junior defined for kids

Examples of junior in a Sentence

She is a junior partner in the law firm.
junior advisers to the governor

Recent Examples of junior from the Web

Reece Solar, a junior quarterback, was 14 of 18 passing for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Alabama Christian 42-14 win over Providence Christian.

— mark heim, AL.com, "Jim Harbaugh finally releases Michigan roster, does it via Twitter," 30 Aug. 2017
There aren’t any major surprises on the two-deep, though there is a mild one with junior Jesse Sosebee beating out senior Andrew Kirkland for the start job at left guard.

— adam jude, The Seattle Times, "UW depth chart: Byron Murphy, Andre Baccellia in line for first start against Rutgers," 28 Aug. 2017
Training for junior ship officers has changed significantly in recent years.

— dave philipps and eric schmitt, New York Times, "Fatigue and Training Gaps Spell Disaster at Sea, Sailors Warn," 27 Aug. 2017
St. Joseph didn't manage a first down on its first two drives, but junior Aamir Burgie returned a punt for touchdown to put the Chargers up 6-0.

— chicagotribune.com, "Pioneer Press Week 1 football roundup," 26 Aug. 2017
The next was a 10-play drive that ended with a 20-yard strike from Thorne to junior receiver Cade McDonald.

— rich mayor, Naperville Sun, "A rose in Payton Thorne: Naperville Central eases past Glenbard North," 26 Aug. 2017
The senior snatched three of his interceptions in the first half, returning the first 35 yards for a score against Herriman’s 6-foot-8 junior quarterback Blake Freeland, who’s committed to BYU.

— alex riggins, sandiegouniontribune.com, "No. 1 Helix dominates Utah team in season-opening win," 25 Aug. 2017
Testaverde, a native of Tampa, Fla., is listed as a 6-2, 205-pound redshirt junior and did not see any game action last year after sitting out in 2015.

— susan miller degnan, miamiherald, "Vincent Testaverde, son of Heisman Trophy winner, leaves UM," 24 Aug. 2017
Portage (NR) Golfer of the Week: Chesterton junior Elyse Stasil shot a personal-best 6-under 65 at Stonehenge Golf Club in the Warsaw Invitational on Saturday.

— mike hutton, Post-Tribune, "Chesterton junior Elyse Stasil finding her golf groove, shoots 65," 23 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of junior

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

junior Synonyms

Synonyms

inferior, lesser, less, lower, minor, smaller, subordinate

Antonyms

greater, higher, major, more, primary, prime, senior, superior, superordinate

Related Words

little, mean, small; minute, petty; jerkwater, one-horse, second-class, second-rate, two-bit; associate, auxiliary, secondary, subsidiary

Near Antonyms

choice, exceptional, first-class, first-rate

Other Education Terms

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

junior

noun

Definition of junior

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

See junior defined for English-language learners

Examples of junior in a Sentence

They are my juniors in rank.
She's a junior at the state college.

Recent Examples of junior from the Web

Then there’s new starting quarterback Jacob Beck, who only threw 12 passes last year as a junior in a blowout loss to Valhalla.

— oscar terrones, San Diego U-T Preps, "Mar Vista in rebuilding mode, but team's expectations are high," 30 Aug. 2017
Under the guidance of their parents, both Mischa and Sascha became world-class juniors and now top 30 ATP players.

— Longreads, "Family Band," 22 Aug. 2017
The tour was established to help young players navigate their way from the juniors to the top level of the professional ranks, the ATP Tour.

— david waldstein, New York Times, "Thousands of Players, Hundreds of Events and Little Reward," 18 Aug. 2017
Traveon Samuel (18 catches, 230 yards, one TD): U of L's jitterbug slot receiver is now a junior who should also see a jump in his output.

— jeff greer, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville football | Assessing the Cards' receiving corps halfway through preseason," 16 Aug. 2017
In two seasons, the junior from Miami has 89 catches for 1,399 yards and 11 touchdowns.

— mark long, The Seattle Times, "Florida suspends Callaway, 6 others for opener vs Michigan," 13 Aug. 2017
Albert Ochoa, who was a junior at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento, California last year, is the lucky teen boy who attended his prom with Kylie and her BFF, Jordyn Woods.

— laura beck, Cosmopolitan, "Kylie Jenner Totally Ghosted Her Prom Date," 12 Aug. 2017
Quarterback Zach Bundalo and defensive lineman Jonas Sparks, both juniors, also are back from a 4-6 team that had four losses by four points or fewer.

— michael osipoff, Post-Tribune, "Countdown to Football: Lake Central ranked No. 9 in preseason by Post-Tribune," 9 Aug. 2017
After hitting 12 home runs as a junior at RB, Mitchell hit .369 with 11 homers and 34 RBIs as a senior.

— john maffei, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Top North County picks eager to begin pro careers," 6 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of junior

Latin, noun & adjective

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1526

See Words from the same year

junior Synonyms

Synonyms

inferior, underling, subordinate

Antonyms

senior, superior

Related Words

attendant, follower, retainer; domestic, menial, steward; flunky (also flunkey or flunkie), henchman, lackey, minion; adjutant, aid, aide, assistant, coadjutor, deputy, second, second fiddle; helpmate, helpmeet, mate, sidekick

Near Antonyms

boss, captain, chief, foreman, head, headman, helmsman, kingpin, leader, master, taskmaster

JUNIOR Defined for English Language Learners

junior

play

adjective

Definition of junior for English Language Learners

: younger in age
: lower in standing or rank
: designed for or done by young people

junior

noun

Definition of junior for English Language Learners

: a person who is younger than another person
: a person who is of a lower rank than another person
: a student in the third of four years in a high school or college

JUNIOR Defined for Kids

junior

play

adjective ju·nior \ ˈjün-yər \

Definition of junior for Students

1 :being younger —used to distinguish a son from a father with the same name

John Doe, Junior

2 :lower in rank

a junior associate

3 :of or relating to students in the next-to-last year at a high school, college, or university

the junior class

junior

noun

Definition of junior for Students

1 :a person who is younger or lower in rank than another

He is two years my junior.

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

Law Dictionary

junior

play

adjective ju·nior \ ˈjü-nyər \

legal Definition of junior

:of lower standing or rank

a junior lienholder

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Other Education Terms

junior

Definition of junior

Examples of junior in a Sentence

Recent Examples of junior from the Web

Origin and Etymology of junior

junior Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

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JUNIOR Defined for English Language Learners

junior

Definition of junior for English Language Learners

junior

Definition of junior for English Language Learners

JUNIOR Defined for Kids

junior

Definition of junior for Students

junior

Definition of junior for Students

Law Dictionary

junior

legal Definition of junior

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