successful

adjective

suc·​cess·​ful sək-ˈses-fəl How to pronounce successful (audio)
1
: resulting or terminating in success
a successful attempt
2
: gaining or having gained success
a successful investor
successfully adverb
successfulness noun

Examples of successful in a Sentence

the play had a successful run on Broadway sold their successful dry-cleaning business and retired to Hawaii
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Papillon Many might recognize Papillon as a moderately successful 2017 movie starring Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek, or a 1973 film boasting the talents of Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, but it was based on a biography by Henri Charriere, a Frenchman who was falsely imprisoned for murder. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024 Christy Martin, 56, rose to fame in the '90s, becoming one of America's most successful female boxers. Shyla Watson, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024 Ruth Handler invented the wildly successful Barbie doll in 1959. George Petras, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024 Trump’s successful reelection bid sparked a wave of interest from tech leaders, who have seemingly reached out to the president-elect. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for successful 

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of successful was in 1594

Dictionary Entries Near successful

Cite this Entry

“Successful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/successful. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

successful

adjective
suc·​cess·​ful sək-ˈses-fəl How to pronounce successful (audio)
1
: resulting or ending in success
2
: gaining or having gained success
successfully adverb
successfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on successful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!