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.
Successful applicants would receive the £300 payment directly into their bank accounts, a spokesperson added.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
Successful testing could win them a potentially lucrative role developing the Golden Dome.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026
“A few IT workers can easily fund a missile,” said Nam, head of a Seoul-based North Korean human-rights group called People for Successful Corean Reunification, or PSCORE.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
Successful childbirth depends on the uterus producing steady, well-organized contractions that move the baby safely through delivery.
From Science Daily • Jan. 13, 2026
Successful black families were moving to the suburbs, but their kids still wanted to have block parties and stay connected to the culture of the townships, so they’d book us to play their parties.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
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.
