senior
gb/sˈinjɚ/ us/sˈinjɚ/
A2
English
~ 1400
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
Older in rank or age
Older or higher in position than someone else.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is senior to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'senior' with 'elderly'; 'senior' in this sense refers to rank or comparative age, not necessarily old age.
Synonyms
superior (More formal and often used in hierarchical or evaluative contexts.)
Antonyms
junior (Refers to someone lower in rank, age, or experience.)
Collocations
senior manager
|senior official
|senior member
|senior partner
Themes
work
|education
|social hierarchy
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She is the senior partner in the law firm.
- In this department, he is senior to everyone else.
- The senior officer gave the final approval.
- My brother is three years senior to me.
Learner examples
- She is a senior manager at the bank.
- He is senior to me at work.
- My sister is senior to me by two years.
- The senior teacher helps the new teachers.
Noun
A2
entity
2
Final-year student
A student in the last year of high school or university.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'senior' here means an older person; in US education, it refers to final-year students regardless of age.
Synonyms
final-year student (Neutral and descriptive; more common in British English.)
Antonyms
freshman (A student in their first year of high school or college.)
Collocations
high school senior
|college senior
|graduating senior
Themes
education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The seniors are preparing for graduation.
- As a college senior, she is applying for jobs.
- High school seniors often take part in a prom night.
Learner examples
- I am a senior at my school.
- She will graduate this year because she is a senior.
- Seniors have many exams before they finish school.
Noun
A2
entity
3
Elderly person
An older person, usually over 60 years old.
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'senior' meaning elderly with 'senior' meaning higher rank; context clarifies the difference.
Synonyms
elder (More formal and can imply respect or authority.)
Antonyms
youth (Refers to young people, especially teenagers or young adults.)
Collocations
senior citizen
|discount for seniors
|services for seniors
Themes
age
|social groups
|daily_life
|health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The community center offers classes for seniors.
- Seniors can get discounted bus passes.
- Many seniors enjoy traveling during retirement.
Learner examples
- The park has activities for seniors.
- My grandmother is a senior and lives alone.
- Seniors can pay less for tickets.
Grammar
Dictionary form
senior
IPA
GB/sˈinjɚ/
US/sˈinjɚ/
Syllables & stress
seni - or (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (seni)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: senior
Noun
- Base: senior
- Plural: seniors
Word family
Expressions
senior citizen
1/sˈinjɚ sˈɪtɪzən/
fixed phrase
Older adult with legal status
An older person, usually over 60 or 65, who may get special services or discounts.
Examples
- Senior citizens get free entry to the museum.
- The city offers free bus rides for senior citizens.
senior moment
1/sˈinjɚ mˈoʊmənt/
idiom
informal
Temporary forgetfulness from aging
A short time when an older person forgets something simple.
Examples
- I had a senior moment and forgot where I left my keys.
- She called it a senior moment when she forgot his name.
senior year
1/sˈinjɚ jˈɪɹ/
fixed phrase
Last year of study in school/college
The last year of high school or university.
Examples
- He met his best friend during his senior year of college.
- Prom is one of the highlights of senior year.