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

Cutting loose McDaniel would be expensive, too, and there’s no clear successor waiting in the wings. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Her rise to the top of the Ladies Professional Golf Association gives Thailand another global sporting star—and a successor to the Thai players who put the country on the map in the women’s game. — Ashleigh Nghiem, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

She was informed by Pavlovsky at the hospital on the day of Lagerfeld’s death that she’d been chosen as his successor. — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026

Williams was an obvious successor after rushing for 443 yards and seven touchdowns over his first two seasons as a backup. — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026

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)