successful

adjective

suc·​cess·​ful sək-ˈses-fəl How to pronounce successful (audio)
Synonyms of successful
1
: resulting or terminating in success
a successful attempt
2
: gaining or having gained success
a successful investor
successfully adverb
successfulness noun

Examples of successful in a Sentence

the play had a successful run on Broadway sold their successful dry-cleaning business and retired to Hawaii
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The elder Dahmer, 57 at the time of his death, was a successful businessman who owned a store, sawmill and farm near Hattiesburg. Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 If successful, the mission will extend the life of the observatory for several more years. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 June 2026 While more critically than commercially successful upon its release, the movie earned Brooks an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and then later served as the basis for the hit Broadway musical (which itself was turned into another movie). Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 June 2026 Our team remains focused on supporting the NRC review process, advancing engineering activities, and continuing preparations necessary to position the project for successful deployment at the University of Illinois. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for successful

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of successful was in 1594

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Successful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/successful. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

successful

adjective
suc·​cess·​ful sək-ˈses-fəl How to pronounce successful (audio)
1
: resulting or ending in success
2
: gaining or having gained success
successfully adverb
successfulness noun

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