seniority

[ seen-yawr-i-tee, -yor- ]

noun

, plural sen·ior·i·ties

1. the state of being senior; priority of birth; superior age.
2. priority, precedence, or status obtained as the result of a person's length of service, as in a profession, trade, company, or union:

   First choice of vacation time will be given to employees with seniority.

seniority

/ ˌsiːnɪˈɒrɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state of being senior
2. precedence in rank, etc, due to senior status

seniority

1. Length of service on a job. Seniority may be considered in making decisions about wages , layoffs , and other working conditions.

Word History and Origins

Origin of seniority¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin seniōritās, equivalent to Latin senior senior + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

A leadership vacuum will become a real risk, and there are no obvious candidates with the seniority and stature of Sanders.

From Fortune

Far fewer women than men are promoted in the finance industry unless they first ask for seniority, a sign of institutional gender bias, according to a new study in Australia.

From Fortune

It also requires that hotels hire back based on seniority and if they don’t, that they provide a written explanation.

From Voice of San Diego

Despite their seniority when they were laid off, they have not been offered a chance to return, even as some employees have been called back as visitor numbers have started to rebound.

From Voice of San Diego

When I heard they were doing layoffs, I thought I would be OK because I have the most seniority in my department.

From Voice of San Diego

As long as seniority reigns among teachers,” Klein writes, “we will fail.

From The Daily Beast

The culture of promotion through seniority kills creativity and effectiveness.

From The Daily Beast

Charter schools, rejecting the tenet of promotion through seniority, promised to do better.

From The Daily Beast

Vogel spins a story of a political culture becoming slowly unbound by previous constraints like party loyalty or seniority.

From The Daily Beast

The best we mere doctors usually hope for is time with aides of varying seniority.

From The Daily Beast

When a candidate passes, he is appointed assistant-engineer by the Ministry, and he rises in his profession solely by seniority.

From Project Gutenberg

The Drapers assembled beneath, and proceeded to make their purchases in order of seniority, according to ancient usage.

From Project Gutenberg

Still, I would harden my heart to it now—to-night—were not my hands tied by Mahon's seniority.

From Project Gutenberg

"He's not as susceptible as he looks," Rose pronounced from her vantage-point of seniority.

From Project Gutenberg

When a father dies intestate, his property is equally divided among his children, without respect to sex or seniority.

From Project Gutenberg

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