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

Roz Brewer, who led Sam’s Club before McLay (and interestingly, whose immediate successor was Furner) went on to lead Walgreens Boots Alliance. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2025

In a statement, McMillon referred to the growth of AI being a new dynamic facing his successor. —Melissa Repko, CNBC, 14 Nov. 2025

The embrace of YouTube continued when Noah was plucked from semi-obscurity (at least in the eyes of the traditional entertainment world) by Jon Stewart and installed as his successor at The Daily Show in 2015. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025

European media giant Bertelsmann has found the successor to Thomas Rabe, the long-serving chief executive at both Bertelsmann and its television operation RTL Group. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 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)