seniority

noun

se·​nior·​i·​ty sēn-ˈyȯr-ə-tē 

-ˈyär-

1

: the quality or state of being senior : priority

2

: a privileged status attained by length of continuous service (as in a company)

Examples of seniority in a Sentence

Promotions are based on merit and seniority.

a teacher with less seniority

He has worked here longer than I have, so he has seniority over me.

Recent Examples on the Web

But Monday’s attack stood out both because of its location — in a diplomatic compound, traditionally exempted from hostilities — and because of the seniority of the apparent target. —Mohamad El Chamaa, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024

Specifically who gets cut is out of the district's hands and based on seniority, Chuck Ogdan, the district's assistant superintendent for human resources, told The Enquirer. —The Enquirer, 25 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

seniority

noun

se·​nior·​i·​ty sēn-ˈyȯr-ət-ē 

-ˈyär-

1

: the quality or state of being senior

2

: a privileged position arrived at by length of service

Legal Definition

seniority

noun

se·​nior·​i·​ty sēn-ˈyȯr-ə-tē 

1

: the quality or state of being senior

2

: the senior status attained by length of continuous service (as in a company)

also : the length of such continuous service