senior

[ seen-yer ]

/ ˈsin yər /

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See synonyms for: senior / seniors on Thesaurus.com

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.Compare junior (def. 1).

of earlier appointment or admission, as to an office, status, or rank: a senior partner.

of higher or the highest rank or standing.

(in American schools, colleges, and universities) of or relating to students in their final year or to their class.

(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.

of, for, or pertaining to a senior citizen or senior citizens as a group: senior discounts on local bus fares.

of earlier date; prior to: His appointment is senior to mine by a year.

Finance. having a claim on payments, assets, dividends, or the like prior to other creditors, mortgages, stockholders, etc.

noun

a person who is older than another.

a person of higher rank or standing than another, especially by virtue of longer service.

(in the U.S.) a student in the final year at a high school, preparatory school, college, or university.

a fellow holding senior rank in a college at an English university.

a senior citizen.

(initial capital letter) a member of the Girl Scouts from 14 through 17 years of age.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of senior

1350–1400; Middle English <Latin, equivalent to sen(ex) old, old man + -ior comparative adj. suffix

Words nearby senior

senhorita, senile, senile dementia, senile macular degeneration, senility, senior, senior aircraftman, senior airman, senior center, senior chief petty officer, senior citizen

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use senior in a sentence

Next, FiveThirtyEight senior sportswriter Chris Herring joins to talk about what’s ahead for the Houston Rockets now that they’ve crashed out of the NBA playoffs.
Reading The Right Amount Into The NFL’s Week 1|Sarah Shachat|September 15, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Colin Cunliff is a senior policy analyst with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.
To confront the climate crisis, the US should launch a National Energy Innovation Mission|Amy Nordrum|September 15, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Eddy Cue, 55, was named the senior vice president of the unit in 2011.
Apple’s leadership evolves ahead of a post-Tim Cook era|radmarya|September 12, 2020|Fortune
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld is a senior associate dean and Lester Crown Professor of Management Practice at the Yale School of Management.
On COVID-19 vaccines, Big Pharma knows to just say ‘no’|matthewheimer|September 11, 2020|Fortune

For longer-term success, new-country partners will need to train and develop senior business leaders.
COVID proves that companies need to reduce their dependence on China|matthewheimer|September 11, 2020|Fortune
Stanley Richards, Senior Vice President of the Fortune Society, gave a tour along with a few residents.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“We look for the qualities that are evocative of V.S.O.P Privilege,” explained Hennessy Senior Vice President Rodney Williams.
Streetwear pioneer, visionary entrepreneur, and community mentor Daymond John is honored with Hennessy Privilege Award|Hennessy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Clean as a whistle,” says a senior investigator involved in the case.
Exclusive: Inside a Cop-Killer’s Final Hours|Michael Daly|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Another senior Air Force official with stealth fighter experience agreed.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
E.J. Graff, senior fellow at the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism, is the author of What Is Marriage For?
The Real Story Behind the Fight for Marriage Equality|E.J. Graff|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The senior branch of the family being thus extinct the whole of the entailed estate had devolved on me.
Uncanny Tales|Various
“Reduced counsels,” interposed Mr. Weller senior, in an undertone.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
This senior was middle-aged, and passing rich on eighty pounds a year.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
I remember a senior clerk in the office where I first worked to whom there was a general aversion.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
He must have had means of his own, as he lived in a way far beyond the reach of even a senior clerk of the first degree.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow

British Dictionary definitions for senior (1 of 2)

senior

/ (ˈsiːnjə) /

adjective

higher in rank or length of service

older in yearssenior citizens

of or relating to adulthood, maturity, or old agesenior privileges

education

of, relating to, or designating more advanced or older pupils
of or relating to a secondary school

US 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

Word Origin for senior

C14: from Latin: older, from senex old

British Dictionary definitions for senior (2 of 2)

Senior

/ (ˈsiːnjə) /

adjective

mainly US being the older: used to distinguish the father from the son with the same first name or namesCharles Parker, Senior Abbreviation: Sr, Sen

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

senior

Origin of senior

Words nearby senior

Words related to senior

How to use senior in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for senior (1 of 2)

Word Origin for senior

British Dictionary definitions for senior (2 of 2)