seniority

[seen-yawr-i-tee, -yor-]

noun

plural

seniorities 

1. the state of being senior; priority of birth; superior age.

2. 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.

seniority

/ ˌsiːnɪˈɒrɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state of being senior

2. precedence in rank, etc, due to senior status

seniority

1. Length of service on a job. Seniority may be considered in making decisions about wages, layoffs, and other working conditions.

Word History and Origins

Origin of seniority¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin seniōritās, equivalent to Latin senior senior + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

Encouraging those speaking to state their assumptions, not just their conclusions, helps others challenge the reasoning rather than deferring to seniority.

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They often ate together at a family-run diner near the Capitol, following the chief justice to their regular table and seating themselves in order of seniority.

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China last purged military officials at this level of seniority roughly a decade ago, when the party expelled two retired CMC vice chairmen on corruption charges during Xi’s first term as leader.

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Despite this, she told Axios on Thursday that she would seek reelection in 2026: “I say my seniority is what is very important, and I am not going to step aside.”

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These challengers often criticize the seniority of older lawmakers.

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Related Words

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