senior

[ seen-yer ]

adjective

1. older or elder (designating the older of two men bearing the same name, as a father whose son is named after him, often written as Sr. or sr. following the name): Compare junior ( def 1 ).

   I'd like to speak with the senior Mr. Hansen, please.

   I'm privileged to introduce Mr. Edward Andrew Hansen, Sr.

2. of earlier appointment or admission, as to an office, status, or rank:

   a senior partner.

3. of higher or the highest rank or standing.
4. (in American schools, colleges, and universities) of or relating to students in their final year or to their class.
5. (in certain American colleges and universities) of or relating to the final two years of education, during which a student specializes in a certain field of study.
6. of, for, or pertaining to a senior citizen or senior citizens as a group:

   senior discounts on local bus fares.

7. of earlier date; prior to:

   His appointment is senior to mine by a year.

8. Finance. having a claim on payments, assets, dividends, or the like prior to other creditors, mortgages, stockholders, etc.

noun

1. a person who is older than another.
2. a person of higher rank or standing than another, especially by virtue of longer service.
3. (in the U.S.) a student in the final year at a high school, preparatory school, college, or university.
4. a fellow holding senior rank in a college at an English university.
5. a senior citizen.
6. (initial capital letter) a member of the Girl Scouts from 14 through 17 years of age.

senior

¹

/ ˈsiːnjə /

adjective

1. higher in rank or length of service
2. older in years

   senior citizens

3. of or relating to adulthood, maturity, or old age

   senior privileges

4. education
   1. of, relating to, or designating more advanced or older pupils
   2. of or relating to a secondary school
5. of, relating to, or designating students in the fourth and final year at college

noun

1. a senior person
2. an elderly person
3. 1. a senior pupil, student, etc
   2. a fellow of senior rank in an English university

Senior

²

/ ˈsiːnjə /

adjective

1. being the older: used to distinguish the father from the son with the same first name or names AbbreviationSrSen

   Charles Parker, Senior

Word History and Origins

Origin of senior¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin, equivalent to sen ( ex ) old, old man + -ior comparative adj. suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of senior¹

C14: from Latin: older, from senex old

Example Sentences

The commission must approve exception appointments at the most senior grade, but below this level departments have a free hand to recruit.

From BBC

Smyth, a barrister and senior member of a Christian charity, was accused of attacking dozens of boys, including those he met in the UK in the 1970s and 1980s.

From BBC

At the inquest in Northampton, senior coroner Anne Pember said the provisional cause of death was "manual strangulation pending toxicology and histology".

From BBC

He said that from the "very start" senior members of Russia's political system had made comments seeking "to distance them from any involvement in what was happening".

From BBC

And last month, a woman was jailed for five years after lying about her experience and qualifications to get a job as a senior nurse in a unit for sick and premature babies.

From BBC

Related Words

• elder
• pensioner
• senior citizen