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
Son has held talks in recent weeks with senior figures, including ​in the UAE, about the ​potential fundraising, the FT reported. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026 Dateline Canada on Citytv and Citytv+ will be hosted by Diana Swain, a former senior investigative correspondent for CBC News and host of The Investigators on the CBC News Network in Canada. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
Because premiums are deducted directly from Social Security checks, this increase — combined with higher prescription deductibles — will eat into seniors’ annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment before the money arrives. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026 But critics complain that the cost-of-living adjustment doesn't reflect seniors' actual expenses, which often include higher costs for healthcare. — Scott Horsley, NPR, 14 Oct. 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
  • An elderly couple was found dead inside their house on Andover Avenue in Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Wednesday afternoon.
    — Amanda Callahan, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The former owner of several unlicensed North Texas boarding homes was sentenced this week to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges tied to the abuse and fatal neglect of elderly and disabled clients in her care.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of elderly
Noun
  • The ancestors of today’s trees are some 20,000 times older than the oldest cities.
    — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • That would mean their ancestors had already reached the continent before the split occurred.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of ancestor
Noun
  • An Army officer who fought with his superiors for his soldiers’ safety.
    — Washington Post readers, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
  • But after Dougan raised the concerns, the lawsuit says, his superiors took disciplinary action against him.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of superior
Noun
  • Leadership at the university turned over last year, with the president, the dean of students and the director of Greek life all departing.
    — Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Parolin, who had been Francis' top deputy but remains in the job, was considered a leading contender in the conclave that elected Leo and was recently passed over as dean of the College of Cardinals.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of dean
Noun
  • Fawn Youngbear-Tibbetts, the group's executive director, said then that recordings of elders' stories on old tapes were likely melted.
    — Eric Henderson, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The day of the shooting, after Roberts took his own life at the scene, while the victims were flown to the nearest hospital, an Amish elder publicly forgave Roberts before the news cameras.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of elder
Adjective
  • The pickup’s driver, a 34-year-old woman from Garden City, Kansas, was taken into custody but was later released after police consulted with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.
    — Maggie Vespa, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Melanie Lawrence, a 68-year-old independent, worries about wells going dry in her area near Willcox, where the groundwater grew so depleted that the land started to crack.
    — Hannah Knowles The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of old
Noun
  • The latest unit retains the same first six forward ratios as the outgoing Carrera T’s manual transmission, but ditches its predecessor’s somewhat awkward and largely superfluous seventh gear.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Bass, for instance, oversaw the reappointment of McDonnell’s predecessor, Michel Moore, shortly after her election and stood by him for a year before Moore’s abrupt resignation in early 2024.
    — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of predecessor
Noun
  • Banijay bosses Jeff Zucker, Marco Bassetti and Jane Turton were in Cannes along with David Decker, the executive handed the Skydance content sales keys by David Ellison.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Durham was later apprehended and served time in prison for the crime, but not before selling the paintings to a notorious crime boss who was later found in possession of the art.
    — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 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 22 Oct. 2026.

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