successor

noun

suc·​ces·​sor sək-ˈse-sər 

: one that follows

especially : one who succeeds to a throne, title, estate, or office

Examples of successor in a Sentence

The CEO's successor used to be the vice president here.

the successor to the throne

Recent Examples on the Web

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said 44 people and groups were targeted, including five individuals and one linked to Iran’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), seen as the successor to Tehran’s pre-2004 nuclear weapons program. —Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025

Removing Isak removed 20 league goals a season from their team, with Liverpool also signing Hugo Ekitike, the player Newcastle’s recruitment staff believed was his most natural successor. —George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

Investors are hoping for a smoother CEO transition this time around and eagerly await news of Iger's successor. —Kevin Stankiewicz,morgan Chittum, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2025

Retired Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Mark Fishburn held her seat while the Trial Court Vacancy Commission and Lee selected her successor. —Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English successour, from Anglo-French, from Latin successor, from succedere

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for successor

• aggressor
• assessor
• compressor
• confessor
• depressor
• hairdresser
• necessar
• oppressor
• possessor
• processor
• professor
• repressor

Kids Definition

successor

noun

suc·​ces·​sor sək-ˈses-ər 

: one that follows

especially : a person who succeeds to a throne, title, estate, or office

Legal Definition

successor

noun

suc·​ces·​sor sək-ˈse-sər 

: one that follows : one that succeeds another (as in a position, title, office, or estate)