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

His successor, President Masoud Pezeshkian, has signaled a willingness to negotiate sanctions relief with Western powers, but has not clarified his administration's strategy regarding space exploration. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024

As things turned out, though, Vitor Roque spent much more time on the bench than the pitch and couldn't find a way into the plans of Xavi's successor Hansi Flick either meaning he was loaned out to Betis approaching the start of 2024/2025. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

New trends in Gothic design led Sully’s successors to radically revamp the design, raising the roof and doubling the size of windows to let more light into the cathedral. —Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024

Trump’s Defense pick reignites the debate Nov. 20, 2024 His remarks are in contrast to some made by the man Trump has tapped to be Austin’s successor to lead the Pentagon. —Lolita C. Baldor, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

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)