what is senior debt
DEFINITION of 'Senior Debt'. Borrowed money that a company must repay first if it goes out of business. Companies have a number of options for obtaining financing, including bank loans and the issuance of bonds and stocks. Each type of financing has a different priority level in being repaid if the company decides to liquidate. If the company goes under, the holders of each type of financing have different levels of rights to the company's assets.