successor

noun

suc·​ces·​sor sək-ˈse-sər 

: one that follows

especially : one who succeeds to a throne, title, estate, or office

Examples of successor in a Sentence

The CEO's successor used to be the vice president here.

the successor to the throne

Recent Examples on the Web

Manchester City has already spent a club-record fee on Elliot Anderson who many view as Rodri’s long-term successor. — Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026

There’s no indication, however, that Chavez or his successor, Nicolás Maduro, followed through. — Syra Ortiz-Blanes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026

Longer term, Steur arguably has the raw attributes to become Guimaraes’ successor, though Newcastle are not considering that for the upcoming campaign, with the idea being that the Dutch teenager will learn from the Brazil international. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Malcolm’s mother, Pamela, serves as successor trustee of the Warner Family Trust, which the actor set up in 1996, according to the filing. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English successour, from Anglo-French, from Latin successor, from succedere

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for successor

• aggressor
• assessor
• compressor
• confessor
• depressor
• hairdresser
• necessar
• oppressor
• possessor
• processor
• professor
• repressor

Kids Definition

successor

noun

suc·​ces·​sor sək-ˈses-ər 

: one that follows

especially : a person who succeeds to a throne, title, estate, or office

Legal Definition

successor

noun

suc·​ces·​sor sək-ˈse-sər 

: one that follows : one that succeeds another (as in a position, title, office, or estate)