junior 1 of 2

adjective

ˈjün-yər How to pronounce junior (audio)
Definition of juniornext
as in smaller
having not so great importance or rank as another junior advisers to the governor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

junior

2 of 2

noun

as in subordinate
one who is of lower rank and typically under the authority of another she's his junior in the company

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of junior
Adjective
Geological uncertainty makes betting on junior ventures extraordinarily risky, but if a mineral deposit proves to have significant reserves, the junior can sell the project or bring in a new partner, and that payout is large. — Tom Moerenhout, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2026 This junior receiver didn’t play until the Eagles’ fifth game because of an injury, but all signs point to him back in football shape and doing things only players with a Mosley gene can do. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Noun
The Eagles had several impact players throughout the season, including senior Jayda Palumbo, freshman Emma Luehrs, junior Jada Stephenson, junior Lia Ray and sophomore Melia Samms. — Alex Kushel, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026 The program is open to rising public high school juniors (entering 10th grade in September 2026) with an interest in arts, media, design or journalism in the New York City area. — Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for junior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for junior
  1. less
  2. subordinate
  3. lesser
  4. minion
  5. lower
  6. assistant
  7. small
Adjective
  • Consider this your chance to improve your entire bed's comfort for less.
    — Jacorey Moon, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The monster romance is as old as Pasiphaë tricking the white bull into bedding her, but a spate of recent offerings, across film and literature, especially, have come to form something less like a genre and more like a drug.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of less
Noun
  • The case involved a relationship gone sour between the accused and a female subordinate, according to a source familiar with the department’s investigation.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 29 Oct. 2026
  • At Wednesday’s hearing, Waller followed the administration’s lead and refused to name or describe the new gunshot detection tool, passing questions about specifics off to a subordinate.
    — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of subordinate
Adjective
  • Even lesser-scale incidents like the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal and the Volkswagen emissions scandal erode trust in the institutions that help make our society possible and push it forward.
    — Lindsey Witmer Collins, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Toronto’s Fred VanVleet appears to be the top target, but Miami’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier have been linked to the team at various points.
    — Staff Writer Follow, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2023
Definition of lesser
Noun
  • Dozens and dozens of Trump minions parroted the same line for days — how dare Obama mock such a beloved American eatery?
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Gavin Newsom’s legislative minions just got a lesson in constitutional supremacy.
    — , FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of minion
Adjective
  • Despite those lower court rulings, the practice has continued nationally, said Gregory Chen, the senior director of government relations for the Immigration Lawyers Association.
    — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 3 Sep. 2025
  • And ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled those lower court rulings and did declare the embryos as children qualifying under the wrongful death statute.
    — Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024
Definition of lower
Noun
  • In 1992, while arranging insurance for Judd’s Marfa properties, his bookkeeper and assistant Jeff Kopie proposed leaving three small buildings then under renovation off the policy altogether, noting their minimal value.
    — Julian Rose, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Abbott said that Accenture research found that 65% of consumers are open to using a GPT-like financial assistant through a Gen AI platform or digital wallet, and 71% would welcome an AI assistant embedded within their primary bank's mobile app.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of assistant
Adjective
  • Murphy said doctors diagnosed him with a small hemorrhagic stroke, which is a bleed in the brain.
    — Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • This design improves control over unwanted current leakage as transistors become smaller.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of small

Browse Nearby Words

jungles
junior
junior high school
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Junior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/junior. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wabi-sabi

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All