seniority

American  

[seen-yawr-i-tee, -yor-] / sinˈyɔr ɪ ti, -ˈyɒr- /

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.

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seniority British  

/ ˌsiːnɪˈɒrɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state of being senior

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

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seniority Cultural  

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

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Etymology

Origin of seniority

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

Example Sentences

Since FAA controllers bid for days off based on seniority, Brewis said he wouldn’t have been able to have weekends off regularly for at least a decade.

From The Wall Street Journal

The NFL’s memo said the union wants to keep seniority in place.

From The Wall Street Journal

But she gained several thousand followers by offering advice for new hires and explaining concepts such as seniority and crew scheduling.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From The Wall Street Journal

In the past, seniority had dictated most of these choices.

From Salon

Related Words

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