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

The Tusk government's efforts to reverse those changes have repeatedly been blocked by two successive presidents sympathetic to Law and Justice. — ABC News, 24 July 2026

Added up across three successive nights, one set of these images will capture the entire sky visible from Rubin’s lofty locale. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026

In the middle of that slate, the club was outscored 11-0 over three successive defeats. — Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

In 1982, while still an England international, Keegan shocked the footballing world by trading First Division Southampton for Newcastle, who had just finished their fourth-successive campaign in the second tier. — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 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