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successor

noun

suc·​ces·​sor sək-ˈse-sər How to pronounce successor (audio)
Synonyms of successornext
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Last week, Steven Godfrey of the Washington Post reported that Auburn was set to hire Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall as the successor to recently fired Hugh Freeze. Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025 In those five years, AlphaFold 2 and its successor AI models have become almost as fundamental and ubiquitous tools of biochemical research as microscopes, petri dishes, and pipettes. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025 Amid growing geopolitical tensions, Russia, meanwhile, announced its own plans to launch its Mir orbital station as its own successor to the ISS. Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 27 Nov. 2025 Ghosts of Budgets past Also well remembered from that era, with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 10 Downing Street, was the 1988 Budget presented by Howe’s successor Nigel Lawson. Ian King, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for successor

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of successor was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Successor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/successor. Accessed 6 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

successor

noun
suc·​ces·​sor sək-ˈses-ər How to pronounce successor (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce successor (audio)
: one that follows : one that succeeds another (as in a position, title, office, or estate)

More from Merriam-Webster on successor

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