succession

American  

[suhk-sesh-uhn] / səkˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

• successions
  plural

1. the coming of one person or thing after another in order, sequence, or in the course of events.

   many troubles in succession.

2. a number of persons or things following one another in order or sequence.

3. the right, act, or process, by which one person succeeds to the office, rank, estate, or the like, of another.

4. the order or line of those entitled to succeed one another.

5. the descent or transmission of a throne, dignity, estate, or the like.

6. Also called ecological succession.  Ecology. the progressive replacement of one community by another until a climax community is established.

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succession British  

/ səkˈsɛʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of one person or thing following another

2. a number of people or things following one another in order

3. the act, process, or right by which one person succeeds to the office, etc, of another

4. the order that determines how one person or thing follows another

5. a line of descent to a title, etc

6. ecology the sum of the changes in the composition of a community that occur during its development towards a stable climax community

7. in a manner such that one thing is followed uninterruptedly by another

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succession Scientific  

/ sək-sĕsh′ən /

1. The gradual replacement of one type of ecological community by another in the same area, involving a series of orderly changes, especially in the dominant vegetation. Succession is usually initiated by a significant disturbance of an existing community. Each succeeding community modifies the physical environment, as by introducing shade or changing the fertility or acidity of the soil, creating new conditions that benefit certain species and inhibit others until a climax community is established.

2. ◆ The sequential development of plant and animal communities in an area in which no topsoil exists, as on a new lava flow, is called primary succession.

3. ◆ The development of such communities in an area that has been disturbed but still retains its topsoil, as in a burned-over area, is called secondary succession.

4. See more at climax community

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Synonym Usage

See series.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsuccession
  noun
• nonsuccessional
  adjective
• successional
  adjective
• nonsuccessionally
  adverb
• successionally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• successions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of succession

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Latin successiōn- (stem of successiō ) “a following (someone) in office,” equivalent to success(us), past participle of succēdere “to succeed” ( see succeed) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Use the word succession to describe things that follow one another, as well as the order in which they do so. The Vice President is first in line of succession to be the President and the Secretary of State is fourth. Sometimes when a leader dies, the one who rules after him is determined not by law as in the U.S. or blood as in a monarchy but by the dying leader himself. Dictators often groom one of their sons for succession. Figuratively, you can use succession to indicate that one thing after another has come and gone without taking hold. The storefront has been home to a succession of businesses, all of which have failed. Fashions come and go in quick succession.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

succession successions

Liechtenstein has announced that it has changed royal succession rules to allow women to ascend the throne.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Those familiar with this mythology know this trainee dynamic isn’t how the Green Lantern’s succession usually works.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Home Depot’s example is of course a different circumstance, but it serves as a reminder for other companies, underscoring the importance of having solid succession plans in place.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Also, less than half of board directors believe their CEO succession plan will succeed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

From there, the other three failed in rapid succession.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

“Steve Jobs did create a mystique, but also some misleading haze,” said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale School of Management professor and author of “The Hero’s Farewell,” on the challenges of CEO successions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

The tightening of the family's grip on its empire also comes amid a wave of high-profile successions in other fashion companies in Europe.

From Reuters ● Jan. 11, 2023

My research looks at successions in family businesses – specifically, how knowledge should be passed on during this process.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2021

Each narrative voice Smith invents is pitch-perfect, and the book offers huge formal pleasures as he peels back successions of communities like archaeological layers, connecting them in ways their inhabitants don’t necessarily register.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 14, 2018

Somewhere there was an actual arsenal, but it was closed off behind successions of sealed mesarthium doors, and anyway, Minya thought knives appropriate tools for butchery.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• cycle
• progression
• series
• string