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

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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
Junior women Addalye VanGrinsven went wire-to-wire to win the junior title, finishing almost three points ahead of Kylie Smith. — Nancy Armour, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 Craig threw a pass to sophomore slot receiver Ed Small that was tightly contested, and the ball floated in the air off a deflection, landing in the hands of redshirt junior safety Jordan Lester. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
The junior is one of the best defensive backs in the country, if not the best safety in the sport. — Connor Riley, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026 At the time, Buckingham was a senior while Nicks was a junior. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 10 Aug. 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
  • Inspectors now have less of a presence in the orchards, which are located in isolated hills where armed groups operate with little interference, and concentrate on packing plants.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Still, the 10-year veteran put on a less-than-ideal showing Saturday after taking over for backup QB Jameis Winston in the third quarter.
    — Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of less
Noun
  • Putin has also protected his direct allies while not extending any such shield to younger subordinates.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Whether peer-to-peer, superior-to-subordinate, or subordinate-to-superior, there has to be trust.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 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
  • One of Danhausen’s minions took out Mysterio with a flipping dive on the outside.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Daniel isn’t this devil’s only minion; Armand’s got an Illumination movie’s worth of cronies doing his bidding.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 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
  • Alex Wagner, who served as assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs during the Biden administration, argued recruiting has remained remarkably insulated from those political battles.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Coach Ken Niumatalolo built a veteran staff of assistants under Filimoeatu, adding defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Brian Norwood along with safeties coach Joe Dale.
    — Niles Hall, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of assistant
Adjective
  • The merch was originally made for OpenAI employees to purchase on an internal site, but the team decided to make a small capsule collection available to the public.
    — T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Rival online retailers Ozon and Yandex Market use smaller depots spread over a wider network.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of small

Browse Nearby Words

jungles
junior
junior high school
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Cite this Entry

“Junior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/junior. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of junior for Spanish Speakers

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