/ ˈdʒuːniə(r); NAmE / adjective , noun
■ adjective
OF LOW RANK
1.
[ usually before noun ] junior (to sb) having a low rank in an organization or a profession :
junior employees
She is junior to me.
IN SPORT
2.
[ only before noun ] connected with young people below a particular age, rather than with adults, especially in sports :
the world junior tennis championships
SON
3.
Junior ( abbr. Jnr , Jr. ) (especially in US) used after the name of a man who has the same name as his father, to avoid confusion
—compare the younger at young adjective (6)
SCHOOL / COLLEGE
4.
[ only before noun ] ( BrE ) ( of a school or part of a school ) for children under the age of 11 or 13
5.
[ only before noun ] ( NAmE ) connected with the year before the last year in a high school or college :
I spent my junior year in France.
—compare senior
■ noun
LOW LEVEL JOB
1.
[ C ] ( especially BrE ) a person who has a job at a low level within an organization :
office juniors
IN SPORT
2.
[ C ] a young person below a particular age, rather than an adult :
She has coached many of our leading juniors.
IN SCHOOL / COLLEGE
3.
[ C ] ( BrE ) a child who goes to junior school
4.
[ C ] ( NAmE ) a student in the year before the last year at high school or college
—compare sophomore
SON
5.
[ sing. ] ( NAmE , informal ) a person's young son :
I leave junior with Mom when I'm at work.
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IDIOMS
- be ... years sb's junior | be sb's junior (by ... )
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (as an adjective following a family name): from Latin , comparative of juvenis young.