Seniority

Seniority (from Latin "senex", old man) is the concept of a person or group of people being older or in charge or command of another person or group, or taking precedence over them. Seniority is present in the most common relationships, between parents and children, siblings of different ages, and workers and their managers. See Classic of Filial Piety.

Control is often granted to senior persons due to experience or length of service in a given position. When persons of senior rank have less experience or length of service than their subordinates, "seniority" may apply to either concept. "Seniority" also sometimes refers to the knowledge or skill that one obtains with long experience.