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.
But whether those gains are broadly shared, and whether the workers whose careers are destroyed make successful transitions, these things do not depend on the technology.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
“They’re very well thought of in Nevada and they’re a very successful family who’s done well,” he added.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Inside the successful push to rescue the North American bid.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
India has set a target to put people on the moon by around 2040, following the successful landing of its Chandrayaan-3 mission near the lunar south pole in 2023.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
“We believe,” she said just over our heads, “that we can congratulate ourselves on a notably successful voyage.”
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
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.
