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.
(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.
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.
(initial capital letter) a member of the Girl Scouts from 14 through 17 years of age.
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
a senior person
an elderly person
a senior pupil, student, etc
a fellow of senior rank in an English university
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin, equivalent to sen ( ex ) old, old man + -ior comparative adj. suffix
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.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sanjay Kumar, a senior official in the Telangana state government, said it compensates people for land and runs its own efforts to improve skills and provide loans for new businesses.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
A physicist by trade, he has held senior leadership roles at Google and Amazon, and has headed several venture capital-funded start-ups.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
You can perhaps understand why the arguments Sir Tony makes are awkward for senior Labour figures.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
A September 2025 report by Saul Geiser of the UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education and a former senior UC admissions official, said the SAT is “a poor fit for America’s public universities.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
A call came into his office from Viktor Grushko, a senior KGB official who was also Gordievsky's boss.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
