successor

American  

[suhk-ses-er] / səkˈsɛs ər /

noun

• successors
  plural

1. a person or thing that succeeds or follows.

2. a person who succeeds another in an office, position, or the like.

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successor British  

/ səkˈsɛsə /

noun

1. a person or thing that follows, esp a person who succeeds another in an office

2. logic the element related to a given element by a serial ordering, esp the natural number next larger to a given one. The successor of n is n + 1, usually written Sn or n′

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• successoral
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• successors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of successor

1250–1300; < Latin, equivalent to succed-, variant stem of succēdere to succeed + -tor -tor, with dt > ss; replacing Middle English successour < Anglo-French < Latin, as above

Explanation

If you are successor to the throne, that means you're next in line when the current royal has to step down. The successor takes over when someone gives up a position or title or when something becomes outdated. The noun successor was first used in the 13th century to mean "one who comes after." It's often used in reference to a royal court, where the successor is usually the king's eldest son. If something happens to the U.S. president, the vice president is the designated successor and will assume the position of head of government. It seems like every day there's a new and improved computer, a successor that replaces an earlier model.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

successor successors

But Trump’s latest posts appear less interested in interrogating Washington than in imagining him as a collaborator — writing, riding and offering design tips to his 21st-century successor.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

"However, they have six months to find a good successor," he said, adding that he thought it likely that the next leader would be chosen from within the group.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

He had been asked about the stances of Newsom and his potential successor, Xavier Becerra, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

The chain’s business began stabilizing, and the board’s executive committee started looking into finding Masino’s successor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Priddy had died, but his successor, John Bell, the new superintendent of the colony, was the appointed defendant.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Earlier, he told an Edinburgh Fringe event that leading Scottish Labour was the hardest job in British politics and urged his potential successors to avoid infighting.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

Unilever would share control with independent directors who were self-perpetuating: They couldn’t be removed by Unilever, and they appointed their own successors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

His successors, it seems increasingly likely, may have to content themselves with less ambitious goals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

It all traces back to an over-30-year-old legal brief from Big Tobacco: They created the modern liability shield playbook and invented the legal interpretation that its successors are now trying to complete.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

Already, our teams were beginning to prepare briefing books and contact lists for their successors.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• replacement