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 See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Browsing the company’s social media feed means easily losing 20 minutes to posts of Pit Viper-wearing seniors flipping the bird, pictures of people wearing Pit Vipers on the toilet, and videos of people doing moronic tricks on skis, bikes, and rollerblades wearing not much but Pit Vipers. Nicole Gull McElroy, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023 Beyer, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound senior at Corona Centennial High, embraces the risks and rewards. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2023 Once customers — many of them seniors — sign with Curbio, the company holds a lien on their property, the suit says. Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2023 Many seniors experience a drop in water consumption that leads to chronic dehydration. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2023 Social Security is often a person's biggest financial asset aside from homeownership, and the steady stream of monthly income keeps millions of seniors from slipping into poverty. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2023 Tickets are $25; $20 for seniors and military and $10 for students. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2023 How to make a claw-foot tub safer for seniors Another con is the hassle of installation. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2023 Twice an All-American pick and ranked No. 1 nationally as a fifth-year senior, Corpuz also earned an undergraduate degree in business administration, a master’s in global supply chain management, and graduate certificates in business analytics sustainability and business. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
Adjective
Glamour senior beauty editor Ariana Yaptangco has used these DDG pads since college. Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 24 Nov. 2023 Alexander Smith Alexander Smith is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital based in London. Anna Schecter, NBC News, 24 Nov. 2023 Three Americans — two women and a girl — are expected to be released under the present agreement, a senior Biden administration official told The Washington Post. Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 23 Nov. 2023 Jeremy Medina, a senior at Gainesville High School who played on the school's baseball team in 2022 as a pitcher and catcher, remained hospitalized and in a coma on Wednesday, when Gainesville City Schools shared their latest update about his condition. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 23 Nov. 2023 Meanwhile, Colorado State graduate senior defensive lineman Mohamed Kamara by himself has amassed 10 1/2 sacks, which ranks fourth in the nation. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2023 But the killings came as senior managers at Lake City were bracing for the possibility that news reports would link the plant to such crimes. Ben Dooley Emily Rhyne, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023 Foreign ministers already met overnight to draft the final communique that will address possible solutions that protect civilians and will denounce attempts to displace Palestinians from Gaza, senior Arab officials said. WSJ, 11 Nov. 2023 The Biden administration views the Israeli intelligence as credible, senior administration officials have said in recent days, although their independent information is limited because the United States has not extensively focused on Hamas in recent years. Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2023 See More

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.

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

Dictionary Entries Near senior

Cite this Entry

“Senior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senior. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

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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