successor

noun

suc·​ces·​sor sək-ˈse-sər 

: one that follows

especially : one who succeeds to a throne, title, estate, or office

Examples of successor in a Sentence

The CEO's successor used to be the vice president here.

the successor to the throne

Recent Examples on the Web

Cherki scored 12 and assisted 20 times for Lyon last season and is seen as the long-term successor to the outgoing Kevin De Bruyne. —Oli Gamp, New York Times, 20 June 2025

The actor rounds out the Buckley clan as Cane, Harlan's would-be successor. —EW.com, 19 June 2025

The Switch 2 is the successor of the original Switch console, which was released in 2017. —Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 18 June 2025

Haidar is a title commonly associated with Ali, whom Shia Muslims regard as the first Imam and the rightful successor to the Prophet Mohammed. —Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English successour, from Anglo-French, from Latin successor, from succedere

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for successor

• aggressor
• assessor
• compressor
• confessor
• depressor
• hairdresser
• necessar
• oppressor
• possessor
• processor
• professor
• repressor

Kids Definition

successor

noun

suc·​ces·​sor sək-ˈses-ər 

: one that follows

especially : a person who succeeds to a throne, title, estate, or office

Legal Definition

successor

noun

suc·​ces·​sor sək-ˈse-sər 

: one that follows : one that succeeds another (as in a position, title, office, or estate)