successive

adjective

suc·​ces·​sive sək-ˈse-siv 

1

: following in order : following each other without interruption

their fourth successive victory

2

: characterized by or produced in succession

successively adverb

successiveness noun

Synonyms of successive

• consecutive

Examples of successive in a Sentence

a trait found in successive generations

made the honor roll for three successive school terms

Recent Examples on the Web

Bringing sport into daily Parisian life has been an objective across successive city administrations. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

Although owned by the French luxury conglomerate LVMH since the early 21st century, Fendi has continued to involve successive generations of the founding family in its creative leadership. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

Angels lose again Tyler O’Neill and Coby Mayo hit successive homers in the fourth inning, Trevor Rogers took a two-hitter into the seventh and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Angels 5-2 Wednesday night. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

Anthropic and OpenAI have followed a similar script, closing successive private rounds at valuations that climbed sharply in a matter of months, each one setting a new high-water mark for what a private technology company could be worth. — Steven Dudash, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for successive

• aggressive
• compressive
• concessive
• depressive
• excessive
• expressive
• impressive
• obsessive
• oppressive
• possessive
• progressive
• recessive

Kids Definition

successive

adjective

suc·​ces·​sive sək-ˈses-iv 

: following in order : following each other without interruption

failed in three successive tries

successively adverb

successiveness noun

Legal Definition

successive

adjective

suc·​ces·​sive sək-ˈse-siv 

1

a

: of or relating to succession

successive rights

b

: created by succession

2

: following in order : following each other without interruption

successive bankruptcy filings

3

: of, relating to, or being a petition for habeas corpus that raises a claim already adjudicated

successively adverb

successiveness noun