1
a
: degree or measure of succeeding
b
: favorable or desired outcome
also
: the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence
2
: one that succeeds
Examples of success in a Sentence
An enormous popular and critical success, The Liars' Club was credited with (or blamed for) launching a new wave of memoir-writing. (Karr deflects this accusation: "I think memoir started with St. Augustine," she told Salon in 1997.)
—
Mollie Wilson O'Reilly, Commonweal, 23 Oct. 2009
Fred tries to keep up his end of the conversation, but without much success; he has never grown bulbs, cooked veal, seen a film by Fassbinder, etc. He feels provincial and out of it …
—Alison Lurie, Foreign Affairs, 2006
Since I was interested in finding out about the successes as well as the failures disabled women experience in the world, I interviewed women who had some work experience, although it was often part-time work and sometimes interrupted.
—Mary Grimley Mason, Working Against Odds, 2004
The necessaries of life for man in this climate may, accurately enough, be distributed under the several heads of Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel; for not till we have secured these are we prepared to entertain the true problems of life with freedom and a prospect of success.
—Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854
Success came easily to him.
She is country music's most recent success.
The growth of the tourism industry is one of the city's great successes.
Mollie Wilson O'Reilly, Commonweal, 23 Oct. 2009
Fred tries to keep up his end of the conversation, but without much success; he has never grown bulbs, cooked veal, seen a film by Fassbinder, etc. He feels provincial and out of it …
—Alison Lurie, Foreign Affairs, 2006
Since I was interested in finding out about the successes as well as the failures disabled women experience in the world, I interviewed women who had some work experience, although it was often part-time work and sometimes interrupted.
—Mary Grimley Mason, Working Against Odds, 2004
The necessaries of life for man in this climate may, accurately enough, be distributed under the several heads of Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel; for not till we have secured these are we prepared to entertain the true problems of life with freedom and a prospect of success.
—Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854
Success came easily to him.
She is country music's most recent success.
The growth of the tourism industry is one of the city's great successes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Entering the space with body fragrance and aroma brands like Veronique Gabai, and lifestyle retail spaces like Blind Barber providing body care and scents for men, Aroma 360 finds its success in its core room scents that are filling the air in high-end commercial spaces other than its own.
—Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Enzo Maresca There’s a particular sort of person who tends to celebrate goals, wins, anything to do with sporting success really, not with obvious expressions of happiness, but with an intensity that might look like anger to the untrained eye.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 11 May 2025
Hanson examines the markedly dance-pop output of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Usher, and Jennifer Lopez between 2009 and 2011 and its success on the radio—beyond just the club—among mainstream audiences.
—Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 11 May 2025
Despite these women’s successes, however, as well as a new class of younger women elected to the House of Representatives, a new law, the first of its kind, has finally been enacted — in California.
—Lynne Agress, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for success
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Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Enzo Maresca There’s a particular sort of person who tends to celebrate goals, wins, anything to do with sporting success really, not with obvious expressions of happiness, but with an intensity that might look like anger to the untrained eye.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 11 May 2025
Hanson examines the markedly dance-pop output of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Usher, and Jennifer Lopez between 2009 and 2011 and its success on the radio—beyond just the club—among mainstream audiences.
—Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 11 May 2025
Despite these women’s successes, however, as well as a new class of younger women elected to the House of Representatives, a new law, the first of its kind, has finally been enacted — in California.
—Lynne Agress, Baltimore Sun, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for success
Cite this Entry
“Success.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/success. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
success
noun
suc·cess
sək-ˈses 
1
a
: degree or measure of succeeding
b
: satisfactory completion of something
c
: the gaining of wealth, respect, or fame
2
: a person or thing that succeeds
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