sénior

See also: senior, Senior, and sênior

Portuguese

Alternative forms

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin senior, influenced also by English senior. Doublet of senhor.

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: (Portugal) -ɛniɔɾ, -ɛnjɔɾ
  • Hyphenation: sé‧ni‧or

Noun

sénior m (plural seniores or (nonstandard) séniores) (European Portuguese spelling)

  1. senior (someone older than someone else)
  2. senior (someone deserving respect or reverence)
  3. (sports) a senior athlete (an athlete above a certain age or level of experience, usually the age of 18)

Adjective

sénior m or f (plural seniores or (nonstandard) séniores or (nonstandard) sêniors) (European Portuguese spelling)

  1. senior; older
  2. senior (higher in rank, dignity or office)
    desenvolvedor séniorsenior developer
  3. (sports) senior (of or pertaining to a league or competition limited to players above a certain age or level of experience, usually the age of 18)

Usage notes

This word’s plural is prescriptively seniores, a paroxytone word; however, it is commonly pronounced with stress on the fourth-to-last syllable, leading to the proscribed forms and spellings séniores / sêniores. Though this type of stress is not usually possible in Portuguese, the pronunciation has a rising diphthong that reduces the number of syllables realized in the word. Additionally, the form sêniors, based on English seniors, is common in Brazil. Compare júnior.

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin senior. Doublet of señor.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsenjoɾ/ [ˈse.njoɾ]
  • Rhymes: -enjoɾ
  • Syllabification: sé‧nior

Adjective

sénior m or f (masculine and feminine plural séniores)

  1. senior

Noun

sénior m (plural séniores)

  1. senior

Further reading