successive

adjective

suc·​ces·​sive sək-ˈse-siv How to pronounce successive (audio)
1
: following in order : following each other without interruption
their fourth successive victory
2
: characterized by or produced in succession
successively adverb
successiveness noun

Example Sentences

a trait found in successive generations made the honor roll for three successive school terms
Recent Examples on the Web But Wheldon passes her with seven of the 200 laps to go and easily holds on. 2006 — Rafael Nadal passes Guillermo Vilas as the King of the clay courts and begins his pursuit of a second successive French Open trophy. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2023 Amid the political trauma stemming from the Iraq War, successive presidents have moved to scale back U.S. diplomatic engagement in the region, redirecting their focus toward China and, more recently, Ukraine. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Apr. 2023 The rangy, androgynous Smith, seventy-six, has been revered by successive generations of hipsters as the ultimate punk rock goddess. Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, 15 Apr. 2023 Two successive governments collapsed last year amid infighting among lawmakers in Montenegro’s parliament, and the country has been run by a caretaker cabinet for more than six months. Misha Savic, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2023 From the first watch, in all white ceramic, to the seventh watch, in all black, the timepieces—which come equipped with automatic calibers certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute—are gradually eclipsed by a black band that grows wider with each successive model. Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2023 Portland in the past two years seen a surge in gun violence and has set successive highs for homicides in the city, reaching a record 101 deaths in 2022. Austindedios, oregonlive, 25 Mar. 2023 Princeton pulled within 55-54 with 3:37 left when Langborg pulled up for a 17-foot jumper after a turnover form Tubelis, and after Princeton missed 3-pointers on two successive possessions, drove inside to give the Tigers their first lead 56-55. Bruce Pasco, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2023 This primarily occurs before potential field goals, as coaches call successive timeouts to ice the kicker. Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'successive.' 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

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of successive was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near successive

Cite this Entry

“Successive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/successive. Accessed 8 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

successive

adjective
suc·​ces·​sive sək-ˈses-iv How to pronounce successive (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce successive (audio)
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

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