success

noun

suc·cess | \ sək-ˈses

Definition of success

1 obsolete : outcome, result

2a : degree or measure of succeeding

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

3 : one that succeeds

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

Progressives praise the proposal as necessary to curb the political power of the wealthy; conservatives see it as an attack on success and business stewardship. — Alan Cole, WSJ, "Elizabeth Warren Doesn’t Understand Wealth Taxes," 3 Feb. 2019 Of course, the 41-year-old’s success also extends to his team, lending them some pretty impressive stats as well. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "How Many Super Bowls Has Tom Brady Won?," 3 Feb. 2019 Pinkfong will not stop with just one viral mega-success. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "So, Where Did This "Baby Shark" Song Come From, Anyway?," 30 Jan. 2019 As with most landscaping projects, success is dependent on getting a head start before the growing season is in full swing. — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "How to Get Your Lawn Ready for Spring," 22 Jan. 2019 Yet these successes aren’t being evenly distributed across populations. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "We’re making real progress against cancer. But you may not know it if you’re poor.," 8 Jan. 2019 So sometime between 9:45 and 10:45AM ET, the mission team should receive that signal confirming a success. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "How to watch as NASA sends a spacecraft past a rock at the edge of the Solar System," 30 Dec. 2018 Companies have gotten creative to overcome the technological hurdles, with mixed success. — Troy Farah, Discover Magazine, "The Web, Worldwide," 19 Oct. 2018 The December meeting between President Trump and Xi Jinping was a success, according to both governments. — Alex Leary, WSJ, "Trump Bullish on China Trade Deal Ahead of Speech to U.S. Farmers," 14 Jan. 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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Dictionary Entries near success

successional speciation

Statistics for success

Last Updated

8 Feb 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for success

The first known use of success was in 1537

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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.