I. junior 1 W3 BrE AmE adjective [only before noun]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: 'younger' , from juvenis 'young' ]
1 . having a low rank in an organization or profession OPP senior :
a junior doctor
junior to
There are several people junior to me (=with a lower rank than me) .
2 . relating to sport for young people below a particular age:
the junior football club
3 . British English relating to a school for children below the age of 11:
the junior classrooms
4 . American English relating to the year before the final year of ↑ high school or college:
the second semester of my junior year
⇨ ↑ senior 1
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THESAURUS
▪ young not old:
a young man of about 22
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My dad died when I was young.
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There are excellent facilities for young children.
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Young people are often unable to get jobs.
▪ small/little a small child is very young. Little sounds more informal than small , and is used especially in spoken English:
They have two small children.
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We used to go camping a lot when the kids were little.
▪ teenage [only before noun] between the ages of 13 and 19:
a group of teenage boys
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They have three teenage children.
▪ adolescent especially written at the age when you change from being a child into an adult – used especially when talking about the problems that young people have at this age:
Sudden mood changes are common in adolescent girls.
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adolescent behaviour
▪ juvenile /ˈdʒuːvənaɪl $ -n ə l, -naɪl/ [only before noun] formal connected with young people who commit crime:
juvenile crime
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a special prison for juvenile offenders
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juvenile deliquents (=young people who commit crimes)
▪ youthful especially written seeming young, or typical of someone who is young – often used about someone who is no longer young:
a youthful 55 year old
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youthful enthusiasm
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Andrew still has a slim youthful look about him.
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The photograph showed a youthful, smiling Rose.
▪ junior connected with sports played by young people rather than adults:
the junior championships
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the junior champion
II. junior 2 BrE AmE noun
1 . be two/five/ten etc years sb’s junior ( also be sb’s junior by two/five/ten etc years ) written to be two, five, ten etc years younger than someone:
She married a man seven years her junior.
2 . [countable] a young person who takes part in sport for people below a particular age:
The juniors use the courts on Tuesday night.
3 . [countable] especially British English someone who has a low rank in an organization or profession:
an office junior
4 . [countable] British English a child who goes to a ↑ junior school
5 . [countable] American English a student in the year before the final year of ↑ high school or college ⇨ ↑ freshman , ↑ senior 2 (1), ↑ sophomore
6 . Junior American English spoken a name used humorously when speaking to or about a boy or a younger man, especially your son:
Where’s Junior?
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THESAURUS
■ describing someone’s position in an organization
▪ senior used about someone who has an important position in an organization. Senior can also be used about someone who has a higher position than you in an organization:
a senior executive
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She’s a senior partner in a law firm.
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She is senior to me.
▪ chief [only before noun] used, especially in job titles, about someone who has the most important or one of the most important positions in an organization:
Carole is the company’s chief financial officer.
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He’s the chief economist at Hangseng Bank.
▪ high-ranking [only before noun] used about someone who has a high position in an organization such as the government, the army, or the police:
high-ranking government officials
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a high-ranking police officer
▪ top [only before noun] used about someone who is very good, important, or successful in their job:
a top lawyer
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He’s one of the President’s top aides.
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top diplomats
▪ junior used about someone who has a low position in an organization. Junior can also be used about someone who has a lower position than you in an organization:
a junior clerk
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a junior doctor
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His role as naval officer was junior to Nelson.
▪ assistant [only before noun] an assistant manager, director, editor etc has a position just below a manager etc:
He’s an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard University.
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She became assistant director at the Belgrade Theatre.