senior 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of seniornext
as in elderly
being of advanced years and especially past middle age bought special food intended for senior dogs

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

senior

2 of 2

noun

ˈsē-nyər How to pronounce senior (audio)
1
as in ancestor
one who is older than another since the man next door is my senior by a number of years, I always address him as "Mr. Barton"

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in superior
one who is above another in rank, station, or office the young attorney benefited from the mentorship of one of his seniors at the firm

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3
as in dean
the senior member of a group when he retires, she will be the senior on the faculty

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4
as in elder
a person of advanced years weekday movie matinees are often popular with seniors

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of senior
Adjective
Tara Sonenshine is a senior fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. — Tara Sonenshine, Baltimore Sun, 11 July 2026 As a sophomore, Konkey was the third option on a team that took second in state and featured 1,000-yard receivers in Georgia recruit Talyn Taylor and fellow senior Finnegan Weppner. — Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
Noun
The trio completed their fourth seasons during the 2025–26 academic year and were non-redshirt seniors. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 July 2026 The Ontario, Canada, native earned All-American honors as a senior in 2019 and also won the Cheryl Miller Award, given to the nation's best small forward. — Norah Judson, Des Moines Register, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for senior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for senior
  1. elderly
  2. ancestor
  3. superior
  4. dean
  5. elder
  6. old
  7. predecessor
  8. boss
Adjective
  • Florida has executed the oldest prisoner in its history, the latest in a spate of capital punishments against elderly death-row inmates.
    — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 16 July 2026
  • The daughter in the tree, his wife, his elderly parents, and six more children besides.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of elderly
Noun
  • And discovering Grace Paley’s work was like discovering an ancestor.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • In between Amos’s lines, In Times of Dragons is a saga of survival introducing different muses along the way, from a real-life ancestor, a martyr who fell in love with Jesus, and a group of rugged women.
    — Tina Eves, SPIN, 13 July 2026
Definition of ancestor
Noun
  • For example, women athletes are routinely portrayed as emotional, powerless, and reliant on their coaches or superiors, resulting in their infantilization, all while their men athlete counterparts are framed as rational and confident.
    — Lindsey Darvin, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The investigation, according to the archives, cited several factors as contributing to the tragedy, including Holland’s disregard of procedures, the failure of superiors to take previous action and the inadequate preparation of crew members aboard the doomed plane.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 16 June 2026
Definition of superior
Noun
  • Ian Williamson, dean of the business school, said the new federal policy played a role in the decision as well as student scheduling preferences.
    — Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • But Erwin Chemerinsky, Berkeley’s law school dean, said Trump still won most of the cases the court decided either after oral arguments or through emergency appeals the administration brought.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of dean
Noun
  • While choosing the layout, the tribe hosted listening sessions with community members and elders.
    — Sarah Liese, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • More important for the purposes of the Social Media Minimum Age’s failure is that Aussie youth undeniably know technology better than do their elders in Parliament.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of elder
Adjective
  • The 19-year-old also said that France should fear Spain due to Spain’s recent success against Les Bleus.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
  • The 29-year-old signed with San Francisco in free agency on a one-year, $12-million contract.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of old
Noun
  • Vahidi, who assumed the role after his predecessor Mohammad Pakpour was killed in US-Israeli strikes on the first day of the war, is rarely seen in public.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • The elaborate funeral of his predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini, was also orchestrated to demonstrate leadership continuity in 1989.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 5 July 2026
Definition of predecessor
Noun
  • Like Sir Richard Branson himself, Virgin lets the hair grow long and undoes a few buttons while still making savvy business decisions, like a boss.
    — JP Brammer, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
  • My last bosses had created a toxic work environment in which people hesitated to speak up, question authority, or make mistakes.
    — Leslie Friday, CNBC, 10 July 2026
Definition of boss

Phrases Containing senior

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senility
senior
senior citizen
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Cite this Entry

“Senior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/senior. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on senior

Nglish: Translation of senior for Spanish Speakers

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