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

As junior coding and test roles diminish, evolve toward more senior full-stack technical roles, UX experts and product managers. —Amy Gu, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Harvard-Westlake, last year’s Division 1 runner-up, is still dangerous with sophomore pitcher Justin Kirchner (7-0) and junior center fielder James Tronstein. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025

Noun

The 20-year-old junior said law enforcement officers escorted him and other students out of the library with their hands over their heads. —Nick Valencia, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025

The Leon County Sheriff’s Office announced in 2021 that the then-high school junior had joined the county’s youth advisory council. —Michael Loria, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025

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