associate professor

American  

noun

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

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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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• associate professorship
  noun

Etymology

Origin of associate professor

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Michael Robbins, 78, a Bradley client, is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Maine who is planning to retire later this year.

From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026

“He was the guy who would grind through that work, to get to that ability to improve something or learn something,” said Reissman, now an associate professor at the University of Dayton.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026

“Our margin of victory was incredible, which underscores the tremendous support for our union and the urgent need to improve our working conditions,” said Kate Levin, a USC associate professor of writing and union organizer.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

Some farmers may reduce how much fertilizer they use in response to the higher prices, said Josh Maples, associate professor in the department of agricultural economics at Mississippi State University Extension.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 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