junior
adjective
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).
junior
American
[joon-yer]
/ ˈdʒun jər /
adjective
-
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.
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of more recent appointment or admission, as to an office or status; of lower rank or standing.
a junior partner.
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(in American universities, colleges, and schools) noting or pertaining to the class or year next below that of the senior.
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Finance. subordinate to preferred creditors, mortgagees, and the like.
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of later date; subsequent to.
His appointment is junior to mine by six months.
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composed of younger members.
The junior division of the camp went on the hike.
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being smaller than the usual size.
The hotel has special weekend rates on junior suites.
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(of an iron or steel shape) relatively small, but rolled to a standard form.
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of, for, or designating clothing in sizes 3–15 or those who wear it.
a junior dress; junior measurements; the junior department.
noun
-
juniors
plural
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a person who is younger than another.
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a person who is newer or of lower rank in an office, class, profession, etc.; subordinate.
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a student who is in the next to the final year of a course of study.
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Often juniors.
-
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.
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the department or section of a store where garments in these sizes are sold.
-
-
a garment in this size range.
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a woman or girl who wears garments in this size range.
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(initial capital letter) a member of the Girl Scouts from 9 through 11 years old.
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Informal. a boy; youth; son.
Ask junior to give you a hand with the packing.
junior
1
British
/ ˈdʒuːnjə /
adjective
-
lower in rank or length of service; subordinate
-
younger in years
junior citizens
-
of or relating to youth or childhood
junior pastimes
-
of or relating to schoolchildren between the ages of 7 and 11 approximately
-
of, relating to, or designating the third year of a four-year course at college or high school
noun
-
law (in England) any barrister below the rank of Queen's Counsel
-
a junior person
-
a junior schoolchild
-
a junior student
Junior
2
British
/ ˈdʒuːnjə /
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"He grew up through our junior section, represented our Colts last season, and has often given his time wholeheartedly to help coach our younger age groups."
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
In Beaumont’s 49-6 win over Hilo, junior quarterback Brandon Cuellar passed for five touchdowns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Speaking in Berlin on the same day, Environment Minister Carsten Schneider of junior coalition partner the centre-left SPD offered a radically different vision, centred on restoring rivers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Unlike Southern Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, Pakistan has never had a successful “colonels’ coup,” or power grab by junior officers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
“The senior wife was a hyena with many children, and the junior was a skinny jackal with only one little boy.”
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
The three people who died on Sunday at the annual Bite of Seattle food festival were Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19, Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44, and Ashley Whitehead, 56.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The Red Bull Junior Programme is one of the most respected and successful driver development programmes in motorsport.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Born in San Jose, Calif., before moving to Chapel Hill, N.C as a teen, he was tabbed as the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2023 by the American Junior Golf Association.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
In Seattle, “we have inventory that’s either overpriced or properties that are going on the market not well-prepared,” Junior Torres, a local real-estate agent with Windermere Real Estate, told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
“You’ll think they’re a Wonder when you smell them. And I’m not giving you any warning, either,” Junior called after me.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Not everyone thinks squeezing out juniors is wise.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
But he believes juniors and seniors in advanced classes should be allowed to use AI “because when you become an upperclassman, companies want to see you actually use these tools,” Anand said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
A world number one in juniors, Andreeva has long been tipped for Grand Slam success.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
Even highly ranked American juniors are finding fewer opportunities to earn meaningful roles on college teams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
The thirty kids in the classroom—all juniors and seniors—were only a few years younger than me, and I was afraid they wouldn’t respect me.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
