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

Now, in an act of serendipity, the successors of both spots, Patsy’s Pizzeria in East Harlem and Juliana’s Pizza in Brooklyn, have delivered their first out-of-state restaurants to Palm Beach County to compete — like all New York-style pizzerias do — against each other. —Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025

His successor, Maresca, has certainly not won all of the fanbase over, even though a win at Nottingham Forest next week should secure a top-five finish and Champions League football for the first time in three years. —Simon Johnson, New York Times, 17 May 2025

Scheyer, Krzyzewski’s longtime assistant, was named his successor in June 2021 and officially took over head basketball coaching duties in April 2022. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 15 May 2025

But in practice, litigation proceeds so slowly that executive actions blocked by the courts often expire when successor administrations abandon the policies. —Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 15 May 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)