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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
His wife, Gwen, was my English teacher junior year. Keenan Robbins, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Vance, Ohio's junior senator, was in Atlanta Monday evening, rallying supporters on the eve of Election Day. Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
Here's what nominating school leaders had to say about this week's nominees: Brenda Martinez, a junior at BELIEVE Circle City High School. Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Nov. 2024 Premer hit junior Jesika Hopkins with a long pass down the sidelines, setting up a 4-yard TD pass to senior Violet Hidalgo. Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for junior 

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 13 Nov. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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