English Reference
Noun

adjunct

n. countable
C1 Advanced US /ˈæˌdʒəŋkt/ UK /ˈæddʒʌŋkt/ ad·junct UK spelling adjunct's, adjunct's Education Grammar Music

n.a person who helps in a job but is not a full member of the team. You often see this word for teachers who work part-time or on short contracts.

n.a person employed in a secondary, temporary, or non-permanent role, especially in higher education or law. In grammar, it refers to a word or phrase that adds extra information to a clause but is not essential to its structure.


SIMPLE

She works as an adjunct professor at the university.

CONTEXTUAL

The law firm hired several adjunct lawyers to handle the sudden increase in cases.

COMPLEX

While tenure-track faculty focus on research, adjunct instructors often carry the bulk of undergraduate teaching, providing essential instruction without the security of permanent employment.

This was the fourth disappointing season since 2020,” said Dr Andrew Watkins, a climate scientist and adjunct professor at the Monash University and a science adviser to the campaign group Protect our Winters.

The Guardian· 4 Sept 2026

By 2021 only 32% had that status , and the rest were adjunct instructors or contract faculty.

The Conversation· 11 Aug 2026

From Latin adiunctus, perfect passive participle of adiungō (“join to”), from ad + iungō (“join”). Doublet of adjoint.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated