senior
adjective
older or elder (designating the older of two men bearing the same name, as a father whose son is named after him, often written as Sr. or sr. following the name).
senior
American
[seen-yer]
/ ˈsin jər /
adjective
-
older or elder (designating the older of two men bearing the same name, as a father whose son is named after him, often written as Sr. or sr. following the name).
I'd like to speak with the senior Mr. Hansen, please.
I'm privileged to introduce Mr. Edward Andrew Hansen, Sr.
-
of earlier appointment or admission, as to an office, status, or rank.
a senior partner.
-
of higher or the highest rank or standing.
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(in American schools, colleges, and universities) of or relating to students in their final year or to their class.
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(in certain American colleges and universities) of or relating to the final two years of education, during which a student specializes in a certain field of study.
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of, for, or pertaining to a senior citizen or senior citizens as a group.
senior discounts on local bus fares.
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of earlier date; prior to.
His appointment is senior to mine by a year.
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Finance. having a claim on payments, assets, dividends, or the like prior to other creditors, mortgages, stockholders, etc.
noun
-
seniors
plural
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a person who is older than another.
-
a person of higher rank or standing than another, especially by virtue of longer service.
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(in the U.S.) a student in the final year at a high school, preparatory school, college, or university.
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a fellow holding senior rank in a college at an English university.
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(initial capital letter) a member of the Girl Scouts from 14 through 17 years of age.
senior
1
British
/ ˈsiːnjə /
adjective
-
higher in rank or length of service
-
older in years
senior citizens
-
of or relating to adulthood, maturity, or old age
senior privileges
-
education
-
of, relating to, or designating more advanced or older pupils
-
of or relating to a secondary school
-
-
of, relating to, or designating students in the fourth and final year at college
noun
-
a senior person
-
an elderly person
-
-
a senior pupil, student, etc
-
a fellow of senior rank in an English university
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Senior
2
British
/ ˈsiːnjə /
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of senior
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin, equivalent to sen ( ex ) old, old man + -ior comparative adj. suffix
Explanation
You can use the word senior to describe anyone who's older than you are. You might say, "My brother is six years my senior," especially if you want to make him feel old. Senior means "older," but it also means "old or aged," like your grandmother, who despite being a senior citizen, continues her skydiving hobby. A senior is also a student in the final year of either high school or college, or an authority: "She holds a senior position in the State Department." The Latin word senior means "older," and it's the basis of respectful terms in many languages, like señor in Spanish and sire in French.
Vocabulary lists containing senior
Ancient Wisdom: Synonyms for "Old"
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Graham's Top 50 Words, in terms of relevance
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
After a serious incident, a committee composed of senior ICE officials and attorneys will review the footage and recommend whether it should be released.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
The U.S. said it would send a large delegation to the inauguration, including acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and a range of senior drug policy officials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
A declining share of people who are ready to work presents a challenge for long-term economic growth, said Cory Stahle, senior economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
The 56-year-old has apologised for "errors" he made in those controversial proposals, but did not step down after receiving the backing of senior executives in a meeting in Morocco on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Surely a trip to Saint Petersburg was an excellent idea, for there he could meet the senior officers and perhaps put in a good word for himself.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Harrington, the 2026 US Senior Open champion, drove the ball well but was let down by indifferent iron play and a cool putter.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
For older adults, many of whom live on fixed incomes, even small premium increases can seem overwhelming, said Shannon Benton, executive director of the Senior Citizens League, an advocacy group for older adults.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Senior minister JP Nadda, who met the CJP leaders for the third time on Saturday after Pradhan's announcement, said, "we have accepted their demands".
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Senior rates strategist Jennifer Kusuma said the projected decline reflects a correction in major commodity prices earlier this month, which slowed raw-material restocking and weighed on business sentiment and the outlook for corporate profits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Henry was president of the Senior Debating Society, the only extracurricular activity he had time for, and Jean Louise was a fat fourteen, immersed in Victorian poetry and detective novels.
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
The law also required drug makers to pay the government rebates on medicines prescribed to seniors if their prices increase faster than inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
But because of the nature of the crime I couldn’t be trusted to work at a residential home for seniors.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
Is it in a community built for seniors?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
About 40% of seniors in traditional Medicare buy supplemental insurance polices to cover benefits like dental and vision care not provided by the government and for protection against catastrophic costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
If my mom hadn’t packed my lunch on 18 September 2013,1 wouldn’t have gotten to the cafeteria early and sat at a table that belonged to a group of seniors, which included my brother.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
