To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Definition of seniority rule
1 : a rule in the U.S. Congress by which members have their choice of committee assignments in order of rank based solely on length of service
2 : a rule in the U.S. Congress by which the member of the majority party who has served longest on a committee receives the chairmanship
Test Your Vocabulary
Semantic Drift Quiz
- Which of the following was once a synonym for fun?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share seniority rule