adjunct professor

American  

noun

1. a professor employed by a college or university for a specific purpose or length of time and often part-time.

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Usage

What does adjunct professor mean? An adjunct professor is a college or university professor whose employment is temporary or part-time. Adjunct professor (often shortened to simply adjunct)  is typically used to indicate that a professor does not have tenure or is not eligible for tenure. Tenure is a status granted to some professors (after they reach a certain amount of experience) that makes their position essentially permanent. Due to the temporary or part-time status of adjunct professors, this title sometimes carries a connotation that associates it with the difficulties of being in such a position, such as job insecurity and lack of benefits. Example: My math professor is an adjunct professor so he might not be here next semester.

Etymology

Origin of adjunct professor

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

adjunct professor

Unlike bacteria that cause other food-borne illnesses—like salmonella and E. coli—cyclospora don’t infect animals, according to Dr. Ewen Todd, a food-safety consultant and adjunct professor at Michigan State University.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

“The media landscape is so fragmented, and the algorithm delivers the personal tastes,” Bob Mitchell, founder of Mitchell Partnership Alliances and adjunct professor at American University’s Kogod School of Business, told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

Another, in 1991-92, brought 133% of the average, according to data provided by Jan Null, adjunct professor at San José State University.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026

The problem: “Like Crazy Eddie, for those that remember him, the fees are ‘insane,’” says institutional investor Michael Weinberg, an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School.

From Barron's ● May 21, 2026

“Yes. She is now teaching in America. She shares a cramped office with another adjunct professor, but she says at least teachers are paid there.”

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie