seniority

noun

se·​nior·​i·​ty sēn-ˈyȯr-ə-tē How to pronounce seniority (audio)
-ˈyär-
Synonyms of senioritynext
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
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.
There is a procedure for those laid off based on seniority and their category of employment. — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026 Age and seniority have become pressing topics in Congress, hitting a fever pitch in 2024 after a groundswell of calls from Democrats for Joe Biden to drop out of the race. — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2026 Larson locked in, spending more than $2 million against Bronin and arguing that the state needed his seniority. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Ed Case stressed seniority in Hawaii primary win In the Hawaii race, there was no debate between candidates as Keohokalole ran ads casting himself as a part of the next generation of leaders who could fix issues in Washington. — Jay Stahl, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for seniority

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of seniority was in the 15th century

Rhymes for seniority

See All Rhymes for seniority

Browse Nearby Words

senioritis
seniority
seniority rule
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Seniority.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seniority. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

seniority

noun
se·​nior·​i·​ty sēn-ˈyȯr-ət-ē How to pronounce seniority (audio)
-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 How to pronounce seniority (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on seniority

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for seniority

Nglish: Translation of seniority for Spanish Speakers

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