senior

1 of 2

noun

se·​nior ˈsē-nyər How to pronounce senior (audio)
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
capitalized : 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
The senior is a drum major for the school's Marching Band of Pride who also participates in other honor bands and clubs. Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Sep. 2025 The senior had four catches for 87 yards and three touchdowns in Granada’s 27-7 win over Carondelet, also adding three punt returns for 28 yards and eight tackles and an interception defensively. Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
On Halloween of 2022, just weeks into the new school year, senior Ehni Ler Htoo was making his way through the halls of Proctor High School in Utica, New York, when a fellow student lurched at him from behind, repeatedly plunging a 9-inch hunting knife into his back. Tonya Simpson, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025 Plus, Vogue’s senior beauty shopping writer Kiana Murden tested Living Proof’s new Clarifying Detox Shampoo as part of her post protective-style regimen. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025 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

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of senior was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Senior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senior. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on senior

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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