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succession

[ suhk-sesh-uhn ]
/ səkˈsɛʃ ən /
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See synonyms for: succession / successional on Thesaurus.com

noun

the coming of one person or thing after another in order, sequence, or in the course of events: many troubles in succession.
a number of persons or things following one another in order or sequence.
the right, act, or process, by which one person succeeds to the office, rank, estate, or the like, of another.
the order or line of those entitled to succeed one another.
the descent or transmission of a throne, dignity, estate, or the like.
Also called ecological succession. Ecology. the progressive replacement of one community by another until a climax community is established.

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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

synonym study for succession

2. See series.

OTHER WORDS FROM succession

Words nearby succession

succès de scandale, succès d'estime, succès fou, success, successful, succession, succession of crops, succession state, successive, successor, success story
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to succession

series, sequence, string, progression, cycle, continuity, concatenation, run, chain, continuation, alternation, course, train, line, order, subsequence, consecution, sequacity

Example sentences from the Web for succession

British Dictionary definitions for succession

succession
/ (səkˈsɛʃən) /

noun

Derived forms of succession

successional, adjectivesuccessionally, adverb

Word Origin for succession

C14: from Latin successio, from succēdere to succeed
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for succession

succession
[ sək-sĕsh′ən ]

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.♦ 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.♦ 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. See more at climax community.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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