junior
junior Lexical Profile
junior Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Lower in rank, status, or standing within an organization, profession, or hierarchy.
"She started her career as a junior partner at a respected law firm."
For or relating to young people, children, or younger competitors in sports and education.
"He won the national junior championship in tennis at the age of sixteen."
Younger in years, or denoting the younger of two people sharing the same name within a family (especially a son named after his father).
"The company is now managed by the founder's namesake, Robert Smith Junior."
American Relating to the third year of a four-year course of study at a high school, college, or university.
"Many students choose to study abroad during their junior year of college."
• noun
American A student in the third year of a four-year high school, college, or university program.
"As a college junior, she began preparing her applications for graduate school."
A person who is younger than another by a specified number of years, or who holds a lower rank in a profession.
"Her husband is five years her junior, though they graduated from university at the same time."
A young person or child, especially one competing in an age-restricted sports category or attending a school for younger pupils.
"The tennis club offers coaching sessions for juniors every Saturday morning."
Word Nuance & Usage
When indicating a comparative age or status difference without 'than', 'junior' takes the preposition 'to' (e.g., 'she is junior to him'). When capitalized and placed after a full name (usually abbreviated as 'Jr.'), it distinguishes a son from a father who bears the exact same name.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Latin 'iūnior' ('younger'), a contracted comparative form of 'iuvenis' ('young'), from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂yuh₁en- ('young').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.