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
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
Synonyms
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
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
Five people were shot in Greenbelt, Maryland, during a high school senior skip day party at a park, police said in a Friday evening press conference.
—Brie Stimson, Fox News, 19 Apr. 2024
More School news:Indiana high school seniors to get letter about in-state college options.
—Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Apr. 2024
For adults and seniors with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and their care partners.
—The Enquirer, 14 Apr. 2024
The 6-foot-4 senior won the Lisa Leslie Award as the country’s top center and was chosen Naismith defensive player of the year.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Family remembers teenager with foundation pushing for water safety
In addition to remembering Bryce a year after his death, his family also started the Bryce Brooks Foundation last year to award scholarships to graduating seniors, something the 16-year-old didn’t live to become.
—USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
That helped the Brookfield East senior get recognized in February as the Wisconsin Journalist of the Year by the Wisconsin Journalist Education Association, an organization that supports school newspapers and student journalists in schools throughout Wisconsin.
—Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024
Liam McNeeley, a 6-8 senior from Richardson, Texas, scored six points in Montverde’s 79-63 victory over Paul VI of Virginia in Saturday’s tourney finals.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2024
Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2024
It’s been a long spring season for Mission Bay senior Cameron McAllister, who juggled playing tennis and golf.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
The redshirt senior from Lancaster, Texas, ran crisp routes and was a consistent check-down option for former USC quarterback Malachi Nelson, who made his debut on The Blue.
—Ron Counts, Idaho Statesman, 21 Apr. 2024
Next 55: $80 per month for one line Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless does not offer a senior discount or plan.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2024
Kansas senior center Hunter Dickinson blocked some shots, hit some straight-on 3s and drove the lane for some slam dunks while also monitoring shooting drills and taking pictures with 200 or so youths for 4 1/2 hours Saturday at his youth basketball camp held at Sports Pavilion Lawrence.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2024
Iran and Israel have conducted a yearslong shadow war, but the conflict intensified on April 1, when Israeli warplanes killed seven Iranian officials, including three senior commanders, at an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria, which Israel asserts was used as a military site.
—Luis Ferré-Sadurní, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Now retired, Ron Matthias was senior assistant attorney general and capital litigation coordinator from 2007 to 2019.
—Ron Matthias, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
And senior officials have been unusually bullish about the prospects for a breakthrough.
—Claire Parker, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Noun
The former three-star recruit at wide receiver was an accomplished track athlete in high school, winning a state championship as a senior in Indiana in the 100 meters (10.51 seconds).
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
Five people were shot in Greenbelt, Maryland, during a high school senior skip day party at a park, police said in a Friday evening press conference.
—Brie Stimson, Fox News, 19 Apr. 2024
More School news:Indiana high school seniors to get letter about in-state college options.
—Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Apr. 2024
For adults and seniors with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and their care partners.
—The Enquirer, 14 Apr. 2024
The 6-foot-4 senior won the Lisa Leslie Award as the country’s top center and was chosen Naismith defensive player of the year.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Family remembers teenager with foundation pushing for water safety
In addition to remembering Bryce a year after his death, his family also started the Bryce Brooks Foundation last year to award scholarships to graduating seniors, something the 16-year-old didn’t live to become.
—USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
That helped the Brookfield East senior get recognized in February as the Wisconsin Journalist of the Year by the Wisconsin Journalist Education Association, an organization that supports school newspapers and student journalists in schools throughout Wisconsin.
—Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024
Liam McNeeley, a 6-8 senior from Richardson, Texas, scored six points in Montverde’s 79-63 victory over Paul VI of Virginia in Saturday’s tourney finals.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Housing development luxury apartments and senior housing.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2024
It’s been a long spring season for Mission Bay senior Cameron McAllister, who juggled playing tennis and golf.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
The redshirt senior from Lancaster, Texas, ran crisp routes and was a consistent check-down option for former USC quarterback Malachi Nelson, who made his debut on The Blue.
—Ron Counts, Idaho Statesman, 21 Apr. 2024
Next 55: $80 per month for one line Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless does not offer a senior discount or plan.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2024
Kansas senior center Hunter Dickinson blocked some shots, hit some straight-on 3s and drove the lane for some slam dunks while also monitoring shooting drills and taking pictures with 200 or so youths for 4 1/2 hours Saturday at his youth basketball camp held at Sports Pavilion Lawrence.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2024
Iran and Israel have conducted a yearslong shadow war, but the conflict intensified on April 1, when Israeli warplanes killed seven Iranian officials, including three senior commanders, at an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria, which Israel asserts was used as a military site.
—Luis Ferré-Sadurní, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Now retired, Ron Matthias was senior assistant attorney general and capital litigation coordinator from 2007 to 2019.
—Ron Matthias, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
And senior officials have been unusually bullish about the prospects for a breakthrough.
—Claire Parker, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'senior.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to senior
Dictionary Entries Near senior
Cite this Entry
“Senior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senior. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
senior
1 of 2 noun
se·nior
ˈsē-nyər 
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 adjective1
: 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
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