success

noun

suc·cess | \ sək-ˈses

Definition of success

1a : degree or measure of succeeding

b : favorable or desired outcome also : the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence

2 : one that succeeds

3 obsolete : outcome, result

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about success

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Examples of success in a Sentence

An enormous popular and critical success, The Liars' Club was credited with (or blamed for) launching a new wave of memoir-writing. (Karr deflects this accusation: "I think memoir started with St. Augustine," she told Salon in 1997.) — Mollie Wilson O'Reilly, Commonweal, 23 Oct. 2009 Fred tries to keep up his end of the conversation, but without much success; he has never grown bulbs, cooked veal, seen a film by Fassbinder, etc. He feels provincial and out of it … — Alison Lurie, Foreign Affairs, 2006 Since I was interested in finding out about the successes as well as the failures disabled women experience in the world, I interviewed women who had some work experience, although it was often part-time work and sometimes interrupted. — Mary Grimley Mason, Working Against Odds, 2004 The necessaries of life for man in this climate may, accurately enough, be distributed under the several heads of Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel; for not till we have secured these are we prepared to entertain the true problems of life with freedom and a prospect of success. — Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854 Success came easily to him. She is country music's most recent success. The growth of the tourism industry is one of the city's great successes.

Recent Examples on the Web

And yet runway success stories remain the exception rather than the rule. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "In Europe, the Model Age Debate Rages On," 12 Apr. 2019 Originally, the brand launched the line in just 250 locations, but after a mere six months of mega-success, the retailer requested a chain-wide expansion due to such high demand. — Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, "You Can Now Shop Peach & Lily Skin-Care Products at Ulta Stores," 29 Mar. 2019 Established in 1939 and now housed in nine buildings on a 35-acre campus, the nonprofit Perry Tech is one of the nation’s brightest trade school success stories. — Chuck Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "The State of American Trade Schools," 13 Mar. 2019 Meanwhile, in a total surprise, K-pop’s breakthrough band BTS continued its international success story, receiving its first Grammy nomination for Best Recording Package for the Love Yourself: Tear album. — Aja Romano, Vox, "Grammy nominations 2019: Kendrick Lamar’s Black Panther soundtrack and Drake lead the pack," 7 Feb. 2019 While Microsoft’s phone business may have failed, PCs are clearly a success story in Redmond. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Microsoft's Surface sales soar to nearly $2 billion, though chip shortages are hurting," 31 Jan. 2019 Perhaps the most impressive part of her success story? — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "Meet Marie Kondo, Star Of Tidying Up On Netflix," 5 Jan. 2019 As exemplified by her success on Broadway, Dove has a singing career as well, with songs on both the Descendants and Liv and Maddie soundtracks. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Dove Cameron's Net Worth is Hefty Thanks to All of Her Work for Disney," 27 Mar. 2019 So maybe there's hope that women can overcome that icky, unspoken implication that standing tall and claiming ownership of our success is unseemly, inappropriate, or unladylike. — Andrea Bartz, Good Housekeeping, "Look, I'm a Self-Promoting Woman. And I’m Not Apologizing for It.," 14 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'success.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for success

success

noun

English Language Learners Definition of success

: the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame

: the correct or desired result of an attempt

: someone or something that is successful : a person or thing that succeeds

See the full definition for success in the English Language Learners Dictionary

success

noun

suc·cess | \ sək-ˈses

Kids Definition of success

1 : satisfactory completion of something But you must, when you are calculating the odds of the mouse's success, factor in his love for the princess.— Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux

2 : the gaining of wealth, respect, or fame

3 : a person or thing that succeeds The show was a success.