associate professor

American  

noun

1. a teacher in a college or university who ranks above an assistant professor and below a professor.

---

associate professor British  

noun

1. (in the US and Canada) a university teacher lower in rank than a full professor but higher than an assistant professor

2. (in New Zealand) a senior lecturer holding the rank below professor

---

Other Word Forms

• associate professorship
  noun

---

Etymology

Origin of associate professor

First recorded in 1815–25

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

associate professor

“I call them the BMW of roller coasters,” said Scott J. Smith, an associate professor at the University of South Carolina, who consults for various theme-park operators.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

"You might know someone who stays cool under pressure," said Lina Begdache, an associate professor of health and wellness studies at Binghamton University and lead author of the research.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

“Donkeys are very strong animals; they bite, they kick,” said associate professor Marko Spasojevic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

"It appears that measures are being implemented to quarantine any potential contacts and prevent any onward transmission," Malick Gibani, clinical associate professor in bacterial vaccinology, Imperial College London, said in a commentary.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

Panofsky, who had risen precociously in his two years at Berkeley to the rank of associate professor, detested the very idea of the oath, but signed— “reluctantly,” as he put it later.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---