Something added to another thing as a supplementary rather than essential part. In academia, refers to part-time faculty members who are not on the tenure track.
From Latin adjunctus, past participle of adjungere 'to join to,' from ad- 'to' + jungere 'to join.' Originally meant anything attached or added to something else, with the academic sense developing in the 20th century.
Adjunct professors now make up about 75% of college faculty in the United States, a dramatic shift from the 1970s when most were tenure-track. The word perfectly captures their position - they're 'joined to' the institution but not fully integrated as permanent members.
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