senior

1 of 2

noun

se·​nior ˈsē-nyər How to pronounce senior (audio)
Synonyms of seniornext
1
: a person older than another
five years my senior
2
a
: a person with higher standing or rank
b
: a senior fellow of a college at an English university
c
: a student in the year preceding graduation from a school of secondary or higher level
3
Senior : a member of a program of the Girl Scouts for girls in the 9th through 12th grades in school
4

senior

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of prior birth, establishment, or enrollment
often used to distinguish a father with the same given name as his son
2
: higher ranking : superior
senior officers
3
: of, relating to, or intended for seniors
a senior center
4
: having a claim on corporate assets and income prior to other securities

Examples of senior in a Sentence

Noun As his senior, she commanded quite a bit of respect. She was his senior in rank. high school juniors and seniors Adjective the senior vice president of marketing She is a senior aide to the president. a senior editor for the magazine He recently became a senior partner in the accounting firm. the men's senior baseball league
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In 2024, its inaugural year, Ballantyne Ridge had no seniors. Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 16 June 2026 Lawmakers also appropriated $143 million to the healthcare program for undocumented immigrant seniors and $4 million for welcoming centers that provide services to immigrants arriving in Illinois. Ben Szalinski, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Adjective
The text of the 14-point agreement was read by a senior administration official in a call with reporters on Wednesday. Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 18 June 2026 The study also found that the more advanced group over-indexed on senior leadership sponsorship, training and change management, and data preparation and labeling—all by at least 10 percentage points. John Kell, Fortune, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for senior

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Latin, from senior, adjective

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin, older, elder, comparative of sen-, senex old; akin to Goth sineigs old, Greek henos

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of senior was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Senior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senior. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

senior

1 of 2 noun
se·​nior ˈsē-nyər How to pronounce senior (audio)
1
: a person who is older than another
five years my senior
2
a
: a person with higher standing or rank
b
: a student in the final year of high school or college

senior

2 of 2 adjective
1
: being older
used to distinguish a father from a son with the same name
John Doe, Senior
2
: higher ranking
senior officers
the senior partner of the law firm
3
: of or relating to seniors in an educational institution
the senior class
Etymology

Noun

Middle English senior "a person older than another specific person," from Latin senior (same meaning), from senior (adjective) "older, elder," from sen-, senex "old" — related to senate, senile, senor, sir

Legal Definition

senior

adjective
se·​nior
ˈsē-nyər
: having higher rank or priority
a senior lienholder
specifically : having a claim on corporate assets and income prior to other securities

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