Definition of "seniority" [sen•ior•i•ty]

• The state of being older than another or others or higher in rank than another or others. (noun)
• Precedence of position, especially precedence over others of the same rank by reason of a longer span of service. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "CONAN: So the well, except for the chief justice, no matter what his seniority is sits in the middle."
• "The widespread policy of "last in, first out" (the teacher with the least seniority is the first to go when cuts have to be made) makes it harder to hold on to new, enthusiastic educators and ignores the one thing that should matter most: performance. ..."
• "With the inauguration just days away, people are still getting accustomed to their new roles – including President-elect Barack Obama and his former Senate colleagues, many of whom far outranked him in seniority in the past."