junior

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin junior, a contraction of iuvenior (“younger”) which is the comparative of iuvenis (“young”); see juvenile.

adj

1. (comparable) Low in rank; having a subordinate role, job, or situation.
2. (not comparable, often preceded by a possessive adjective or a possessive form of a noun) Younger.
   Far less likely to intimidate your junior genealogist is the Internet, with its databases, message and bulletin boards, online collections, and more. Now is also the time to introduce your children to older relatives, who can be valuable resources and provide precious information. 2003, Karen Frisch, Creating Junior Genealogists
   Humorous books for junior readers are often ignored by the critical community, due, in part, to what Milner Davis describes as a “conventional bias against comic genres” (1996: 101), and I consider this a serious oversight within the field of children's literature. 2010, Julie Cross, Humor in Contemporary Junior Literature, page 1
   There she is: Lady Margaret Hall, eight years junior to me, exhibitioner where I was top scholar, and reading French. (Not veterinary science.) 2011, Julian Barnes, Knowing French (Storycuts)
   A handbook for junior golfers covering a wide range of golfing instruction and information with over 250 photographs of juniors learning, playing, practicing and enjoying the game of golf. 2012, Junior Golf in Pictures: The Junior Golfer's Handbook
   Instead of going to the unit I walked in the opposite direction towards the medicine lecture room with various thoughts going through my mind — most of them were positive as this was a great opportunity to practise what I had learnt so far and should have a good impact on students who were 3–4 years junior to me and not known to me. 2013, Krishna Mohan Mishra, Me and Medicine, page 111
3. (not comparable) Belonging to a younger person, or an earlier time of life.
4. (not comparable, chiefly US) Of or pertaining to a third academic year in a four-year high school (eleventh grade) or university.

noun

1. A younger person.
   four years his junior
   Miss Mitchell would certainly be most relieved to have a monitress who was capable of organising the juniors at games. 1922, Angela Brazil, Monitress Merle
   The last man I met who was at school with me, though some years my junior, had a long white beard and no teeth. 1939, P. G. Wodehouse, Uncle Fred in the Springtime
2. A name suffix used after a son's name when his father has the same name (abbreviations: Jnr., Jr., Jun.).
3. (chiefly US, Philippines) A third-year student at a high school or university.
4. (law) A junior barrister.