adjective
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having succeeded in one's endeavours
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marked by a favourable outcome
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having obtained fame, wealth, etc
Usage
Spelling tips for successful The word successful is hard to spell because it can be hard to know which letters are doubled. Both the c and the middle s are doubled, but the f and l are not. How to spell successful: To be a success, you need to see (two Cs) Some Smarts (two Ss). This reminds you that success is spelled with a double C in the middle and a double S at the end. To spell successful, you add the base word (success) to the suffix -ful.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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semisuccessfuladjective
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half-successfulnessnoun
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semisuccessfullyadverb
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nonsuccessfuladjective
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successfulnessnoun
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quasi-successfullyadverb
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quasi-successfuladjective
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nonsuccessfullyadverb
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presuccessfuladjective
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half-successfuladjective
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presuccessfullyadverb
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half-successfullyadverb
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successfullyadverb
Etymology
Origin of successful
Explanation
If you win or do well, at whatever it is you do, you are successful. Successful people usually get more money, attention, and praise. If you go into business and make a lot of money, you're successful. If you play tennis and finish the season with more wins than losses, you've been successful. If you have a successful pregnancy, you give birth to a healthy baby. Successful is one of those words that covers a great deal of ground; it generally applies to anything, anyone or any venture that ends well. When you see the word successful, think "Winning!"
Vocabulary lists containing successful
Power Suffix: -ful
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 5
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"A Raisin in the Sun," "My Father is a Simple Man," and "My Mother Pieced Quilts"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She would go on to govern for 15 years, turning the TMC into India's most successful regional party and herself into one of the country's most formidable opposition politicians.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
One of the fund’s most successful bets is a stake in Anthropic that today accounts for about one-fifth of its assets, the person said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Being oversubscribed is the bare minimum for a successful IPO.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
However, the successful launch of the Wegovy pill and its explosive growth is a bright spot for the company.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 7, 2026
Mrs. Bennett was the most successful at it.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
