success

American  

[suhk-ses] / səkˈsɛs /

noun

1. the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one's goals.

2. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

   Synonyms:

   triumph, accomplishment, achievement

3. a performance or achievement that is marked by success, as by the attainment of honors.

   The play was an instant success.

4. a person or thing that has had success, as measured by attainment of goals, wealth, etc..

   She was a great success on the talk show.

5. Obsolete. outcome.

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success British  

/ səkˈsɛs /

noun

1. the favourable outcome of something attempted

2. the attainment of wealth, fame, etc

3. an action, performance, etc, that is characterized by success

4. a person or thing that is successful

5. obsolete any outcome

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Other Word Forms

• nonsuccess noun
• presuccess noun
• semisuccess adjective
• successless adjective
• successlessly adverb
• successlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of success

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin successus, equivalent to succēd-, stem of succēdere succeed + -tus suffix of verb action, with -dt- regularly becoming -ss-

Explanation

For some students, success in school means getting As and Bs. For others, it means getting straight As, starring in the school play, and winning the class election. Success means achieving a goal, and everyone's goals are different. We tend to think of success as a triumph or victory, but if you look at its linguistic roots in Latin, success literally just means "result." At some point several centuries ago people probably began using success as shorthand for "good success," and eventually they dropped the good altogether. That would explain why in formal settings you still occasionally hear the phrase "good success," even though we now think of all successes as good.

Example Sentences

Beane never found success in his brief major-league career.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Limited success followed, including exposure on cable networks CMT: Country Music Television and Great American Country, though it was not enough to break through.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

She said this was one of two great success stories of the pandemic - the other being the use of a cheap and a readily-available steroid drug called dexamethasone to prevent fatal lung damage.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Nine-person HoldCo has found success in an industry that has had little history with activist investors relative to other sectors.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

So what protected Marina from being arrested during the Great Terror, if hard work, success, and national glory weren’t enough to keep you from suspicion?

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• accomplishment
• achievement
• advance
• benefit
• boom
• fame
• gain
• happiness
• profit
• progress
• prosperity
• realization
• triumph
• victory
• win