adjunct

1 of 2

noun

ad·​junct ˈa-ˌjəŋ(k)t How to pronounce adjunct (audio)
1
: something joined or added to another thing but not essentially a part of it
The website is designed as an adjunct to the book.
2
grammar
a
: a word or word group that qualifies or completes the meaning of another word or other words and is not itself a main structural element in its sentence
b
: an adverb or adverbial phrase (such as heartily in "They ate heartily" or at noon in "We left at noon") attached to the verb of a clause especially to express a relation of time, place, frequency, degree, or manner compare disjunct sense 2
3
a
: an associate or assistant of another
b
: an adjunct faculty member at a college or university (see adjunct entry 2 sense 2)
4
adjunctive adjective

adjunct

2 of 2

adjective

1
: added or joined as an accompanying object or circumstance
2
: attached in a subordinate or temporary capacity to a staff
an adjunct professor
adjunctly
ˈa-ˌjəŋ(k)-tlē How to pronounce adjunct (audio)
-ˌjəŋk-lē
adverb

Did you know?

Breaking Down Adjunct

With its prefix, ad-, meaning "to or toward", adjunct implies that one thing is "joined to" another. A car wash may be operated as an adjunct to a gas station. An adjunct professor is one who's attached to the college without being a full member of the salaried faculty. And anyone trying to expand his or her vocabulary will find that daily reading of a newspaper is a worthwhile adjunct to actual vocabulary study.

Examples of adjunct in a Sentence

Noun Because Joseph Ellis has been an outspoken critic of social and women's history, he appears a peculiar choice to write the foreword, despite his many publications on the Revolutionary era. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, he treats Abigail here more as her husband's adjunct and supporter than as her own woman. Anthony Lewis, New York Times Book Review, 4 Nov. 2007
As an adjunct to its basic educational role, the public library will increasingly serve as an access point to the resources of other libraries as well as to nonlibrary sources of publicly available information. Fred Lerner, The Story of Libraries, (1945) 1998
In A.D. 400 western Europe was merely a geographic expression. Roman civilization was centered on the Mediterranean, and France, England, and the Rhine valley were mere adjuncts of the Mediterranean world. Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages, 1993
Massage therapy can be used as an adjunct along with the medication. In “They ate heartily,” the word heartily is an adjunct and in “We left at noon,” the phrase at noon is an adjunct. Adjective But it's Sainte-Marie's less-well-known life as a computer geek—and an adjunct professor of digital art, Native American studies, and philosophy at several universities—that brings her to midtown Manhattan today. Ophira Edut, Ms., August/September 1999
There is a terrible shortage of jobs in the universities, where, increasingly, men and women with Ph.D.s hang on to various forms of underpaid adjunct posts. Believe me, it happens at Harvard, too. Martin Peretz, New Republic, 5 July 1999
Using his chauffeur-driven car as an adjunct office, the designer shuttles among the design ateliers of his three major collections: the one that bears his name; Chanel, and, after a seven-year hiatus, Chloé. Carrie Donovan, New York Times Magazine, 11 Oct. 1992
massage therapy as an adjunct treatment
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
David Sable is an obstetrician-gynecologist, reproductive endocrinologist, health care fund manager, and an adjunct in the department of biological sciences at Columbia University. David Sable, STAT, 22 Feb. 2024 Editorial Board: Most college professors are underpaid adjuncts. Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2024 To answer these questions, prospective students need to ask the right ones: Who actually teaches your class: Full-time faculty, adjuncts, or outsourced firms? John Rau, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Until recently, Bryan wouldn’t even recommend using cannabis as an adjunct to exercise. Christine Ricciardi, Hartford Courant, 12 Jan. 2024 Meanwhile, management determined which classes adjuncts would teach and when, complicating their work outside USC. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Nov. 2023 Barley, along with other adjuncts in beer, such as corn, rice and wheat, is an annual crop. Tony Rehagen, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2023 The adjuncts’ organizing campaign began small, without union involvement. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Nov. 2023 The group compiled a spreadsheet listing all their fellow adjuncts and their phone number and emails in August. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Nov. 2023
Adjective
Justin Vovk, adjunct professor of history at Redeemer University, thinks the choice to solely film the princess was intentional. Alice Li, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024 Troxel is a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation, and an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Utah. Casey Delbasso, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024 Eckman is an adjunct professor in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Education. Alec Johnson, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024 Kevin Kaiser, an adjunct professor of finance at the Wharton School, said such investors can profit by buying at steep discounts when markets are panicking. Stan Choe, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 For more than 13 years, Grosz has become a culinary academic, beginning as an adjunct instructor at Schoolcraft College's culinary arts program in 2010, and transitioning to a full-time faculty member in 2021. Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024 Graham Ward is an adjunct professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD and the director of the Challenge of Leadership program for C-level executives. Graham Ward, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 With experience as a practicing lawyer and adjunct professor at the USC Thornton School of Music, Davidson brings valuable insights into plagiarism cases within the music industry. Stephen Cox, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Saul Austerlitz is a freelance writer and an adjunct professor of writing and comedy history at New York University. Saul Austerlitz, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adjunct.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Latin adjunctum "concomitant factor," from neuter of adjunctus adjunct entry 2

Adjective

borrowed from Latin adjunctus, past participle of adjungere "to link up, join, add, attach" — more at adjoin

First Known Use

Noun

1554, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Adjective

1516, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of adjunct was in 1516

Dictionary Entries Near adjunct

Cite this Entry

“Adjunct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adjunct. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

adjunct

noun
ad·​junct
ˈaj-ˌəŋ(k)t

Medical Definition

adjunct

1 of 2 noun
ad·​junct ˈaj-ˌəŋ(k)t How to pronounce adjunct (audio)
1
: a person associated with or assisting another in some duty or service
2
: adjuvant sense b
drugs used as short-term adjuncts in weight-loss programs

adjunct

2 of 2 adjective
1
: added or joined as an accompanying object or circumstance
2
: attached in a subordinate or temporary capacity to a staff
an adjunct psychiatrist

More from Merriam-Webster on adjunct

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!