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

Columbia University associate professor Dieter Egli says his group has precisely edited genes in an embryo, a landmark scientific move that is highly controversial.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 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

"The idea is, can we use food-based interventions to modulate inflammation?" said lead author Jessica Cooperstone, associate professor of horticulture and crop science at The Ohio State University.

From Science Daily • May 30, 2026

Graduate Dean George Birkhoff assured Ernest of Harvard’s high esteem for Oppenheimer “as a creative theorist” and confided that the university was willing to appoint him as an associate professor at $6,000.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik