junior

American  

[joon-yer] / ˈdʒun yər /

adjective

1. younger (designating the younger of two men bearing the same full name, as a son named after his father; often written as Jr. or jr. following the name).

   May I speak with the junior Mr. Hansen?

   Mr. Edward Andrew Hansen, Jr.

2. of more recent appointment or admission, as to an office or status; of lower rank or standing.

   a junior partner.

3. (in American universities, colleges, and schools) noting or pertaining to the class or year next below that of the senior.

4. Finance. subordinate to preferred creditors, mortgagees, and the like.

5. of later date; subsequent to.

   His appointment is junior to mine by six months.

6. composed of younger members.

   The junior division of the camp went on the hike.

7. being smaller than the usual size.

   The hotel has special weekend rates on junior suites.

8. (of an iron or steel shape) relatively small, but rolled to a standard form.

9. of, for, or designating clothing in sizes 3–15 or those who wear it.

   a junior dress; junior measurements; the junior department.

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noun

1. a person who is younger than another.

2. a person who is newer or of lower rank in an office, class, profession, etc.; subordinate.

3. a student who is in the next to the final year of a course of study.

4. Often juniors.

   1. a range of odd-numbered sizes, chiefly from 3 to 15, for garments that fit women and girls with shorter waists, narrower shoulders, and smaller bustlines than those of average build.

   2. the department or section of a store where garments in these sizes are sold.

5. a garment in this size range.

6. a woman or girl who wears garments in this size range.

7. (initial capital letter) a member of the Girl Scouts from 9 through 11 years old.

8. Informal. a boy; youth; son.

   Ask junior to give you a hand with the packing.

junior ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒuːnjə /

adjective

1. lower in rank or length of service; subordinate

2. younger in years

   junior citizens

3. of or relating to youth or childhood

   junior pastimes

4. of or relating to schoolchildren between the ages of 7 and 11 approximately

5. of, relating to, or designating the third year of a four-year course at college or high school

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noun

1. law (in England) any barrister below the rank of Queen's Counsel

2. a junior person

3. a junior schoolchild

4. a junior student

Junior ² British  

/ ˈdʒuːnjə /

adjective

1. Abbreviation: Jnr.   Jr.   Jun.   Junr.  being the younger: usually used after a name to distinguish the son from the father with the same first name or names

   Charles Parker, Junior

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Other Word Forms

• prejunior adjective
• subjunior adjective

Etymology

Origin of junior

First recorded in 1520–30, junior is from the Latin word jūnior younger

Explanation

Use the word junior to describe things that are intended for young people, like the junior chess tournament for elementary school kids or the junior department in a clothing store, with kid-sized sweaters and jeans. Junior is used to mean "younger," so you might describe your cousin as being six years your junior. It also means "lower in rank," so new representatives in Congress are often called "junior members," and workers are described as junior to others higher in the company hierarchy. As a noun, a junior is in the third year of high school or college, and if you share your dad's name, he is Julio Smith and you are Julio Smith, Junior.

Example Sentences

Total membership at English golf clubs rose from 730,602 in 2024 to 750,071 in 2025 – with junior membership growing by more than 34% in 2025, rising from 46,028 to 61,483.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

“So they can use it to give out loans,” said one student, a junior.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

IBM, which is tripling U.S. entry-level hiring in 2026, said its junior roles have evolved rapidly, too.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

A Jordanian company had gotten him admitted to a junior college in a tiny town in Oklahoma.

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026

“One day,” Nhamo said when she had recovered, “a hen belonging to the junior wife wandered into the senior wife’s hut and broke three pots. ‘

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer