noun
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a person or thing that follows, esp a person who succeeds another in an office
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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′
Other Word Forms
- successoral adjective
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
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.
Leo was chosen as his successor on May 8.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
Powell said earlier this month he would stay on as “chair pro tempore” if no successor is confirmed by then, and that he wouldn’t leave the board until the probe ends.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
For starters, the law allows members of the board to remain in place until their successor is confirmed by the Senate and ready to take over.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
Would the successor to the coin-toss be any less cruel?
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
Former president Harry Truman, idealized by many blacks for integrating the military, may have been more decisive than his successor, but his stand on the lunch-counter protests didn’t please blacks.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
