successful
adjective
suc·cess·ful
sək-ˈses-fəl 
1
: resulting or terminating in success
a successful attempt
2
: gaining or having gained success
a successful investor
successfulness
noun
Synonyms
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
Carter has helped James throughout the years launching various platforms, including the highly successful Uninterruped umbrella.
—
Evan Sidery, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
That momentum was building just as Pluma was rolling out several other successful collaborations with other artists in and outside his genre.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023
Israel survived, and Arab honor, shattered in 1967, was restored by Egypt’s initially successful attack across the Suez Canal.
—Thomas W. Lippman, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023
The penguins’ successful microsleep strategy raises interesting questions about how variable fruitful sleep can be among different species and in different environments.
—Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
According to Vice, Blanco was responsible for the murders of hundreds of people, including her three husbands, and amassed a vast fortune as one of the most successful drug lords in history.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 30 Nov. 2023
Lifelong BFFs collaborate on a wildly successful video game.
—The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2023
Researchers have now created arguably the most successful demonstration yet of an electrocaloric component.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Nov. 2023
The drummer also opened up about what made the funk group successful.
—Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023
See More
Evan Sidery, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
That momentum was building just as Pluma was rolling out several other successful collaborations with other artists in and outside his genre.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023
Israel survived, and Arab honor, shattered in 1967, was restored by Egypt’s initially successful attack across the Suez Canal.
—Thomas W. Lippman, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023
The penguins’ successful microsleep strategy raises interesting questions about how variable fruitful sleep can be among different species and in different environments.
—Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
According to Vice, Blanco was responsible for the murders of hundreds of people, including her three husbands, and amassed a vast fortune as one of the most successful drug lords in history.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 30 Nov. 2023
Lifelong BFFs collaborate on a wildly successful video game.
—The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2023
Researchers have now created arguably the most successful demonstration yet of an electrocaloric component.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Nov. 2023
The drummer also opened up about what made the funk group successful.
—Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'successful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near successful
Cite this Entry
“Successful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/successful. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
successful
adjective
suc·cess·ful
sək-ˈses-fəl
1
: resulting or ending in success
2
: gaining or having gained success
successfulness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on successful
Nglish: Translation of successful for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of successful for Arabic Speakers
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