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
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
The strikes and comments suggest the kingdom hasn't been successful in its efforts to intensify diplomatic outreach to Iran.
—
Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
If competing proposals appear on a ballot and are successful, the one that receives the most votes nullifies the other.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
And also for Iran itself, where the regime is apparently still in charge of the armed forces even with the successful actions by the Israelis and the Americans.
—Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 9 Mar. 2026
There is no successful sports-only streaming service that serves as an obvious comp for the Tennis Channel.
—Lucas Shaw, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for successful
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Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
If competing proposals appear on a ballot and are successful, the one that receives the most votes nullifies the other.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
And also for Iran itself, where the regime is apparently still in charge of the armed forces even with the successful actions by the Israelis and the Americans.
—Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 9 Mar. 2026
There is no successful sports-only streaming service that serves as an obvious comp for the Tennis Channel.
—Lucas Shaw, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for successful
Cite this Entry
“Successful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/successful. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
successful
adjective
suc·cess·ful
sək-ˈses-fəl
1
: resulting or ending in success
2
: gaining or having gained success
successfulness
noun
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