seniority
Americannoun
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the state of being senior; priority of birth; superior age.
-
priority, precedence, or status obtained as the result of a person's length of service, as in a profession, trade, company, or union.
First choice of vacation time will be given to employees with seniority.
noun
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the state of being senior
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precedence in rank, etc, due to senior status
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of seniority
1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin seniōritās, equivalent to Latin senior senior + -itās -ity
Explanation
Seniority refers to being ranked higher in an organization since you have been there longer. Who has seniority in a high school? The seniors of course! You know how older people are called senior citizens or seniors? That should help you remember what seniority is: the longer someone stays within an organization, the more they have of it. A new worker has hardly any seniority. Someone working at a job for 20 years has a lot of seniority. Having seniority is like having a higher rank or status.
Vocabulary lists containing seniority
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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The Titan's Curse
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Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 1
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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.
Bellingham was seen in England's dressing room presenting Liverpool's 17-year-old Rio Ngumoah with his first cap following his debut against New Zealand in Tampa, a sign of seniority even though he is still only 23.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
Plenty of older lawmakers continue to capably serve; in some cases, seniority can make them more effective advocates for their constituents.
From Slate • Apr. 24, 2026
A combined company would also have to integrate complex union seniority lists; harmonize a massive fleet, which comprises both Boeing and Airbus jets; and face a web of co-branded card programs offered by each airline.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
Pay varies dramatically, depending on the ship-management company and the crew member’s seniority level.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
Some months later, I happened to be traveling in a car with a serving army officer of some seniority and Col.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
