Definition
The state of being older or having a higher rank or position because of longer service or age.
Etymology
From Middle English 'seniorte,' derived from Old French 'seigneur' and Latin 'senior' meaning 'older.' Used extensively in medieval and modern organizations.
Kelly Says
In unions and government jobs, seniority is sacred—an employee with 20 years service will keep their job even if younger workers might be more efficient, prioritizing loyalty over performance.
Translations
AFAfrikaans
anciënniteit
ANCIËNNITEIT
ARالعربية
الأقدمية
الأقدمية
BGБългарски
старшинство
СТАРШИНСТВО
BNবাংলা
জ্যেষ্ঠতা
জ্যেষ্ঠতা
CACatalà
antiguitat
ANTIGUITAT
DADansk
anciennitet
ANCIENNITET
DEDeutsch
Dienstalter
DIENSTALTER
ELΕλληνικά
προτεραιότητα
ΠΡΟΤΕΡΑΙΌΤΗΤΑ
ESEspañol
antigüedad
ANTIGÜEDAD
EUEuskara
nagusitasuna
NAGUSITASUNA
FRFrançais
ancienneté
ANCIENNETÉ
GLGalego
antigüidade
ANTIGÜIDADE
HIहिन्दी
वरिष्ठता
वरिष्ठता
HRHrvatski
stariji
STARIJI
IDBahasa Indonesia
masa kerja
MASA-KERJA
ITItaliano
anzianità
ANZIANITÀ
LTLietuvių
vyresnumas
VYRESNUMAS
LVLatviešu
vecākums
VECĀKUMS
MSBahasa Melayu
tempoh perkhidmatan
TEMPOH-PERKHIDM
MYမြန်မာ
အကြီးဆုံး
အကြီးဆုံး
NLNederlands
anciënniteit
ANCIËNNITEIT
NONorsk
ansiennitet
ANSIENNITET
PTPortuguês
antiguidade
ANTIGUIDADE
RUРусский
старшинство
СТАРШИНСТВО
SKSlovenčina
starší
STARŠÍ
SLSlovenščina
starejšina
STAREJŠINA
SVSvenska
anciennitet
ANCIENNITET
TAதமிழ்
மூத்தவர்
மூத்தவர்
UKУкраїнська
старшинство
СТАРШИНСТВО
VITiếng Việt
thâm niên
THÂM-NIÊN
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Merit-based seniority systems often disadvantaged women with career interruptions for caregiving, creating structural inequity.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'seniority' while acknowledging non-linear career paths; consider alternative advancement metrics that account for caregiving responsibilities.
Inclusive Alternatives
["tenure","experience level","advancement based on merit + circumstances"]
Empowerment Note
Women's interrupted careers were penalized; modern equity requires recognizing diverse paths to expertise.