senior
/ˈsiːniə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsiːniər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsē-nyər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈsiː.ni.ər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsiː.njɚ/ (ame, ipa)
senior — 形容詞
- seniorpositive
- more seniorcomparative
- most seniorsuperlative
1. having a more important position or a higher level of authority than someone els
高階的
職位或等級較高的
having a more important position or a higher level of authority than someone else in an organization or profession.
Jack was promoted to a senior position in the marketing department after just two years.
Jack 工作僅兩年後便晉升為行銷部門的高階職位。
attributive use: senior + position/job noun
The senior staff at Eitan's company meet every Monday to discuss the weekly sales targets.
Eitan 公司的高階主管每週一開會討論當週的銷售目標。
Élise is senior to Amira in the company, so she makes the final hiring decisions.
Élise 在公司裡的職級比 Amira 高，所以她有最終的人事決定權。
Only senior officers can approve expenses above five thousand dollars.
只有高階主管才能批准超過五千美元的開支。
- higher-ranking
more direct and less formal; used mainly for positions in hierarchies
- superior
stronger emphasis on authority; can sound more formal or judgmental
- chief
suggests the highest role; used for titles like chief executive or chief officer
- junior
lower in rank or position; the direct counterpart
- subordinate
formal term for someone lower in a hierarchy
文法句型
senior + noun
senior + to + noun
用法筆記
Often used as an attributive adjective before a job title or category. When comparing two people, the pattern 'senior to [someone]' is used instead of 'senior than'.
常見錯誤
2. having been a member of a group for a long time, so that you know the work or ac
資深的
年長且經驗較豐富的
having been a member of a group for a long time, so that you know the work or activity well because of your experience.
As a senior member of the sales team, Jiwoo helps train the newer employees.
身為銷售團隊的資深成員，Jiwoo 協助訓練新進員工。
collocation: senior member of [group]
Maja is a senior nurse at the hospital with over fifteen years of experience.
Maja 是醫院裡資深的護理師，擁有超過十五年的經驗。
Kofi, a senior player, spent extra time helping the younger forwards improve their shooting.
Kofi 是資深球員，他花額外時間幫助年輕的前鋒改善投籃技巧。
Lakan's role as a senior developer includes reviewing code written by the newer team members.
Lakan 擔任資深開發人員，職責包括審查新進團隊成員的程式碼。
- experienced
broader meaning, not limited to groups; less formal
- veteran
strong connotation of long service; often used for soldiers, athletes, or professionals
- long-serving
emphasizes duration rather than skill gained
文法句型
senior + noun (role/member)
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1 (HIGHER RANK), this sense emphasizes experience and tenure rather than formal authority. The person may not be anyone's boss but is respected for having been around longer.
3. having lived for a greater number of years; older than another person, especiall
年長的
年齡較大的
having lived for a greater number of years; older than another person, especially within a family or community.
Senior students at Yuki's school helped the new seventh-graders find their classrooms on the first day.
Yuki 學校的學長姐在開學第一天幫助七年級新生找到教室。
senior students = older students
Nikhil visits his senior relatives every weekend and helps them with their groceries.
Nikhil 每週末去探望年長的親戚，並幫他們購買生活用品。
The senior residents at Amelia's community center meet every Friday for board games and tea.
Amelia 社區中心裡的年長居民每週五下午聚在一起玩桌遊、喝茶。
Ziad joined a club for senior residents of the neighborhood to meet new friends.
Ziad 加入了一個社區年長居民社團，藉此結交新朋友。
文法句型
senior + noun (family/group)
用法筆記
In British English 'senior' as a simple age marker is less common in everyday speech; 'older' is preferred. The sense survives in fixed expressions like 'senior citizens' and in family references such as 'senior brother' (common in Indian, African, and East Asian English).
常見錯誤
4. written after someone's full name to indicate that they are the elder of two fam
老一輩
用於同名父子名字後的稱謂
written after someone's full name to indicate that they are the elder of two family members with the same name, typically a father and his son.
William Senior still lives in the house where his son William Junior grew up.
William Senior 仍然住在他兒子 William Junior 小時候住的那棟房子裡。
pattern: [First Name] + Senior vs Junior
The invitation was addressed to David Chen Senior, not his grandson of the same name.
邀請函是寄給 David Chen Senior——這位老一輩的 David Chen，而不是他同名的孫子。
Jorge Santos Senior has a grandson named Jorge Santos Junior, and both share the same family name.
Jorge Santos Senior 有一個名叫 Jorge Santos Junior 的孫子，兩人都姓同一個姓氏。
Pass this package to Mr. Kim Senior when you see him at dinner.
請你在晚餐時把這個包裹交給 Kim Senior。
- the elder
more formal and less common; used in historical contexts ('Pliny the Elder')
- Junior
used after the name of the younger relative (often abbreviated as Jr.)
- the younger
formal alternative to Junior
文法句型
Name + Senior
用法筆記
Always placed after the full name and usually capitalized. In writing it is often abbreviated as 'Sr.' (e.g., 'Martin Luther King Sr.'). This usage is most common in American and Canadian English.
常見錯誤
5. made for or connected with people in their later years, particularly those who a
敬老
專為年長者設計或與其相關的
made for or connected with people in their later years, particularly those who are no longer employed.
The supermarket offers a ten percent discount for senior customers every Tuesday.
這家超市每逢星期二提供敬老優惠，年長顧客可享九折。
collocation: senior discount / senior customer
Amira volunteers at a senior center where she reads books to the residents.
Amira 在銀髮中心擔任志工，為住在那裡的長輩朗讀書籍。
collocation: senior center / senior residence
Many senior citizens join walking groups to stay active and make new friends.
許多銀髮族加入健走社團，以保持活力並結交新朋友。
The city built a new senior housing complex near the park and the library.
市政府在公園和圖書館附近新建了一棟銀髮住宅大樓。
- elderly
more direct about advanced age; slightly less formal than 'senior'
- retirement
focuses on the post-work stage rather than age itself
- youth
relating to young people; opposite end of the age spectrum
文法句型
senior + noun (service/facility/discount)
用法筆記
The noun phrase 'senior citizen' is the most common full form. 'Senior' alone before a noun (senior discount, senior housing) is a shortened version. This sense is polite and respectful, unlike some older terms for elderly people.
常見錯誤
❌ 'Senior citizen discount' is sometimes shortened to 'senior discount' in casual speech — this is acceptable, not a mistake.
6. relating to the final year of study at a high school, college, or university.
畢業班的
高中或大學最後一年的
relating to the final year of study at a high school, college, or university.
Hugo is taking his senior exams next month and feels quite nervous about them.
Hugo 下個月要參加畢業班考試，他對此感到相當緊張。
US: senior exams / senior year
The senior class at Westlake High plans a trip to the coast in spring.
Westlake High 的畢業班正在規劃春季的海邊旅行。
Ryan spent his senior year of college writing a research paper about ocean pollution.
Ryan 在大學畢業那年花了很多時間撰寫一篇有關海洋污染的研究報告。
Senior prom is one of the most memorable events for students completing high school.
畢業舞會是高中學生在最後一年中最難忘的活動之一。
- final-year
used in British English and other varieties; neutral and widely understood
- graduating
focuses on the completion of studies rather than the year itself
- freshman
first-year student; beginning of the school journey
- first-year
the opposite end of the school timeline
文法句型
senior + noun (year/class/student)
用法筆記
This sense is primarily used in the United States and Canada. In the US school system, grade 12 is 'senior year' of high school, and the fourth year of a four-year college degree is 'senior year' of college.
常見錯誤
senior — 名詞
- seniorsingular
- seniorsplural
1. a person who holds a more important position or a higher rank in an organization
上司；長官
職位或等級較高的人
a person who holds a more important position or a higher rank in an organization than the person speaking or being referred to.
Noa reported the problem to her senior, who promised to investigate it immediately.
Noa 向她的上司報告了這個問題，對方承諾會立即調查。
countable: a senior = higher-ranking person
The juniors in the office respect their seniors and often ask them for career advice.
辦公室裡的資淺員工尊敬他們的長官，並經常請教職涯方面的建議。
Each new employee is paired with a senior who helps them learn the company systems.
每位新進員工都會配有一位前輩，協助他們熟悉公司的運作系統。
Reuben asked two seniors in his department to review his project plan before the client meeting.
Reuben 請了部門裡兩位前輩在客戶會議前幫他審查專案計畫。
- junior
a person with lower rank or less experience
- subordinate
formal term for someone lower in the hierarchy
文法句型
someone's senior
the senior + preposition
用法筆記
Commonly used with a possessive determiner ('my senior', 'her senior', 'the juniors' seniors'). Can also be used without a possessor in contexts of institutional hierarchy ('consult your seniors').
2. someone who is a certain number of years older than another person, used to desc
年長X歲
年齡較大的人（用於表達年齡差距）
someone who is a certain number of years older than another person, used to describe the age gap between two people.
Trang is ten years Jack's senior, but they get along very well as colleagues.
Trang 比 Jack 年長十歲，但他們作為同事相處得非常融洽。
pattern: [number] years + [possessive] + senior
Jiwoo's husband is eight years her senior, and they met while traveling in Vietnam.
Jiwoo 的先生比她年長八歲，他們是在越南旅行時認識的。
pattern: [number] years + pronoun + senior
The new manager is twenty years the owner's senior and brings decades of experience.
新任經理比老闆年長二十歲，擁有數十年的業界經驗。
Although Renata is only three years my senior, she has always given me wise advice.
雖然 Renata 只比我大三歲，但她總是給我很有智慧的建议。
- older
simpler and more common in everyday speech; works without an age number
- junior
used in the same pattern: 'five years my junior' means five years younger
文法句型
[number] years + possessive + senior
用法筆記
This sense always appears in the construction '[number] years someone's senior'. The number can be approximate ('about ten years my senior') or exact. It cannot stand alone without the age-difference expression.
常見錯誤
3. an older person, especially one who has stopped working and is aged 65 or over.
銀髮族
年長者，尤指已退休的人
an older person, especially one who has stopped working and is aged 65 or over.
The community center offers free yoga classes for seniors every Saturday morning.
社區中心每週六上午為銀髮族提供免費的瑜珈課程。
seniors = older people, senior citizens
Dewi organized a bus trip for seniors to visit the national park during the spring bloom.
Dewi 協助安排了一趟銀髮族巴士旅行，帶長輩們在春天花季時去國家公園遊玩。
The local library runs a book club specifically for seniors who enjoy reading fiction.
當地的圖書館為喜愛閱讀小說的銀髮族開設了一個讀書會。
Nikhil visits the seniors at the care home every Sunday afternoon to play chess.
Nikhil 每週日下午去安養中心陪那裡的銀髮族下棋。
- senior citizen
full form; slightly more formal and explicit
- pensioner
used in British English; focuses on the person receiving a pension
- older adult
neutral and respectful; commonly used in healthcare contexts
- young person
someone who is young; the opposite demographic
- youth
a young person, especially a teenager or young adult
用法筆記
Considered a polite and respectful term. 'Senior' as a noun is more common in official and service contexts (discounts, housing, programs) than in personal family references. For family members, 'grandparent' or 'elderly relative' is more natural.
4. a learner who is in the last twelve months of secondary school or higher educati
應屆生
高中或大學最後一年的學生
a learner who is in the last twelve months of secondary school or higher education, a label commonly used in the US education system.
The seniors at Lincoln High School are preparing their applications for college now.
Lincoln 高中的畢業班學生正在準備大學申請資料。
senior = final-year student
Maja is a senior at Seoul National University, majoring in computer science.
Maja 是首爾大學資訊工程系的畢業班學生。
Each senior in the program must complete a final project before graduating in June.
該課程的每位畢業生都必須在六月畢業前完成一份專題報告。
The seniors decorated the school gym and threw a farewell party before final exams began.
畢業班學生布置了學校體育館，在期末考前舉辦了一場告別派對。
- final-year student
used in British English and other education systems
- graduating student
focuses on the imminent completion of studies
- freshman
first-year student; beginning of the school journey
- first-year student
the opposite end of the study timeline
用法筆記
In order of school years, the US progression is: freshman (9th grade / 1st year), sophomore (10th / 2nd), junior (11th / 3rd), senior (12th / 4th). In British English, 'final-year student' or 'Year 13 student' is used instead.
常見錯誤
5. the status of having a right to be paid or treated before other claimants, used
優先權
在財務或法律上具有較高優先順位的地位
the status of having a right to be paid or treated before other claimants, used especially in finance and law.
When the retailer went bankrupt, senior debt holders were paid before the regular suppliers.
那家零售商倒閉時，優先債務持有人比一般供應商先拿到還款。
finance: senior debt / senior claim
When the construction firm defaulted, senior bondholders were the first to get their money back.
那家營造公司違約時，優先順位債券持有人是第一批拿回資金的人。
A senior lien on the house means the bank gets repaid before other creditors.
房屋的優先留置權意味著銀行在其他債權人之前獲得還款。
The loan agreement gives the bank senior status over other creditors in the payment order.
貸款合約明確載明，銀行在清償順序中具有優先於其他債權人的地位。
- priority
more general term; 'senior' in this context is the specific legal term for having priority
- preferential
used in 'preferential creditor' contexts; similar meaning
- subordinated
having lower priority; paid after senior claimants
- junior
used for debt that ranks below senior debt
文法句型
senior + noun (debt/bond/claim/lien)
用法筆記
This is a technical financial/legal sense. It appears in compound terms like 'senior debt', 'senior bond', 'senior lien', or 'senior creditor'. The opposite is 'junior' or 'subordinated' debt.