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

The regime will close ranks for its survival, and any successor will have to prove his anti-American mettle to seal his support from the base. —Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026

The reasonable expectation before this season was that Snead might package them to select Stafford’s successor. —Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026

The exec hasn’t yet announced her next move, and Mac Cosmetics hasn’t announced who will be her successor. —Essence, 30 Jan. 2026

Until the mid-1950s, most were old-fashioned four-door saloons, but the TD21 changed all that—as did its TE21 and TF21 successors. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 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)