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
Learn More About seniority rule
Statistics for seniority rule
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Seniority rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seniority%20rule. Accessed 22 Jan. 2022.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
Name that Thing: Flower Edition
-
- Name that flower
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share seniority rule