sénior
/ˈsenjoɾ/
The English phrase 'senior' (as an adjective meaning older) is translated into Spanish as sénior. It is also spelled senior.
Meaning: older (adj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sénior | /ˈsenjoɾ/ | |
| senior | /ˈsinjoɾ/ | alternative form |
When used as an adjective, sénior means older. It can also be used as a noun to refer to someone who is older than someone else. If you wish to refer to someone specifically because they are seen as deserving respect or reverence due to their age, the noun anciano is used.
Which one should you use?
sénior is the standard spelling, while senior is an alternative spelling of the same word.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective sénior is invariable in gender, so it remains the same whether the subject is masculine or feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsenjoɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse the adjective sénior (older/senior) with the noun señor (sir/Mr.) because they have similar spellings and pronunciations.
Did you know?
- The word sénior is actually a linguistic 'doublet' of the common Spanish word señor, meaning they both share the same ancestral root.
- In many professional environments in Latin America, the term sénior is almost exclusively used to describe skill levels, such as a 'developer sénior', rather than biological age.
- While sénior describes age, Spanish uses the word mayor to describe the elder sibling in a family, regardless of how old they actually are.
Examples in context
- ¡Buenos días, señor García! ¿Cómo está usted hoy?Good morning, Mr. García! How are you today?
- ¡Eh, viejo! ¿Vienes al partido de fútbol?Hey, old man! Are you coming to the soccer game?
- Él es un consultor sénior.He is a senior consultant.
- Necesitamos un programador sénior para el equipo.We need a senior programmer for the team.
- Ella tiene un cargo sénior en la empresa.She has a senior position in the company.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are looking at a gym membership plan.
- MateoMira este plan para socios sénior.Look at this plan for senior members.
- LucíaEs mucho más barato que el normal.It is much cheaper than the normal one.
- Mateo¿Crees que mi abuelo quiera inscribirse?Do you think my grandfather would want to sign up?
- LucíaSí, Lucía cree que le encantaría.Yes, Lucía thinks he would love it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “senior” translations and entries sénior, senior, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries senior, sénior, CC BY-SA 4.0.
