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.
of more recent appointment or admission, as to an office or status; of lower rank or standing.
a junior partner.
(in American universities, colleges, and schools) noting or pertaining to the class or year next below that of the senior.
Finance. subordinate to preferred creditors, mortgagees, and the like.
of later date; subsequent to.
His appointment is junior to mine by six months.
composed of younger members.
The junior division of the camp went on the hike.
being smaller than the usual size.
The hotel has special weekend rates on junior suites.
(of an iron or steel shape) relatively small, but rolled to a standard form.
of, for, or designating clothing in sizes 3–15 or those who wear it.
a junior dress; junior measurements; the junior department.
a person who is younger than another.
a person who is newer or of lower rank in an office, class, profession, etc.; subordinate.
a student who is in the next to the final year of a course of study.
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.
the department or section of a store where garments in these sizes are sold.
a garment in this size range.
a woman or girl who wears garments in this size range.
(initial capital letter) a member of the Girl Scouts from 9 through 11 years old.
Informal. a boy; youth; son.
Ask junior to give you a hand with the packing.
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
law (in England) any barrister below the rank of Queen's Counsel
a junior person
a junior schoolchild
a junior student
First recorded in 1520–30, junior is from the Latin word jūnior younger
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.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Scott Hamilton, an Atlanta-based clinical psychologist, described a “surreal” experience with a family after he evaluated their high-school junior and didn’t find evidence that an accommodation on the SAT was needed.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
He wanted to work in industrial engineering, but faced a brutal job search his junior year after applying for at least 80 internships and landing only two interviews.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
He has had an impact at every level down to grassroots, where even junior coaches adopt his strategies.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
This is partly because it would be unwise - Russia may be the junior partner, but it's also a proud one.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
It’s hard to believe that my first year of junior high is almost over.
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
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.
