junior varsity

American  

noun

Sports.

1. a university, college, or school team that consists of players who lack the qualifications or skill necessary for the varsity and compete against other teams of similar composition or ability.

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Etymology

Origin of junior varsity

First recorded in 1945–50

Compare meaning

How does junior-varsity compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• varsity vs. junior varsity

Example Sentences

Eventually, Little would play in junior varsity football games as a punter, before jumping up to varsity level.

From BBC

But the Griffins, loaded with backups from last season and members of a good junior varsity team, are 8-6 going into an early Sunset League showdown with 16-1 Corona del Mar on Monday.

From Los Angeles Times

As a high-schooler in North Carolina, he’d been stuck on junior varsity for two years, which he later called “the best thing that could have happened.”

From The Wall Street Journal

They worked a junior varsity girls’ game at Granada Hills this week.

From Los Angeles Times

He played junior varsity last season, and let’s just say Celts coach Derek Fisher is going to have fun working with him.

From Los Angeles Times