adj

junior

JOO-nee-uh

adj

Lower in rank, position, or seniority.

"She started as a junior analyst straight out of university."

"He's junior to me, so I sign off on his work."

Younger, especially the younger of two people with the same name (often father and son).

"His son goes by "junior" at family gatherings."

noun

A student in the third year of a four-year high school or university program.

"She's a junior this year, so college applications start soon."

A younger or less experienced person, especially in a job.

"The juniors handle the smaller accounts while seniors manage the big clients."

How to Use Junior

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishLower-ranking or younger — used for job titles, school years, and to distinguish a son from a father of the same name.

Easily confused with

senior →

Common pairings

junior partner junior high school junior varsity

more junior comparative, juniored past tense, juniors plural, juniors singular, most junior superlative

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She started as a _____ analyst straight out of university.

From Latin junior, "younger," the comparative form of iuvenis, "young" — the same root as juvenile.

prior senior savior warrior anterior interior exterior behavior inferior superior ulterior posterior