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
- half-successful adjective
- half-successfully adverb
- half-successfulness noun
- nonsuccessful adjective
- nonsuccessfully adverb
- presuccessful adjective
- presuccessfully adverb
- quasi-successful adjective
- quasi-successfully adverb
- semisuccessful adjective
- semisuccessfully adverb
- successfully adverb
- successfulness noun
Etymology
Origin of successful
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.
"The successful rescue of the pupils, without casualty, was the result of professional intelligence and operational precision," he added.
From BBC
An additional $20 million will be paid out upon the successful transfer of “manufacturing process technology,” which is expected in the second or third quarter of 2027.
From Barron's
An additional $20 million will be paid out upon the successful transfer of “manufacturing process technology,” which is expected in the second or third quarter of 2027.
From Barron's
Doctors advised Grace could not donate stem cells because a successful transplant relies on the body recognising donor cells as foreign so they attack any remaining cancer cells.
From BBC
The settlement movement’s contribution to successful assimilation and upward mobility merits the attention this book pays.
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.
