junior

1 of 2

adjective

ju·​nior ˈjün-yər How to pronounce junior (audio)
Synonyms of juniornext
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
Junior : a member of a program of the Girl Scouts for girls in the third through sixth grades in school

Synonyms of junior

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Adjective

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
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.
Adjective
Those emotions were shared by more than a hundred people who convened after junior running back MicahJo Barnett died on the sideline Saturday, just as the season was just getting started. — Pj Green august 30, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026 MicahJo Barnett, a junior business administration major at the Division II school, had a health crisis on the sideline following the score, according to a statement released by the college. — Shayna Jacobs, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026
Noun
The junior earned seven sacks last season and earned Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Three players are virtual locks to start in Rodriguez, redshirt senior Matt McCoy and redshirt junior Samson Okunlola. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026 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

Phrases Containing junior

Browse Nearby Words

juning
junior
juniorate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Junior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/junior. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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