succession
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a number of similar things or events that happen one after another.
a number of people or things of a similar kind following one after another in time or space.
Simple“The team won a succession of games and moved to the top of the league.”
In context“A rapid succession of technological breakthroughs in the late twentieth century fundamentally altered the global telecommunications landscape.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
the process of taking over a title, office, or property from the person who had it before.
the action or process of inheriting a title, office, or property, often governed by specific legal or hereditary rules.
Simple“The prince is second in the line of succession to the throne.”
In context“The sudden death of the CEO triggered a complex succession plan that had been drafted by the board of directors years earlier.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'to'.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
the natural process where different types of plants and animals replace each other in an area over time.
the process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time, typically following a disturbance.
Simple“After the forest fire, we observed the natural succession of plants returning to the land.”
In context“Primary succession began on the barren volcanic rock, starting with lichens and mosses before larger vascular plants could establish themselves.”
Synonyms
Usage rapid succession
“Like then, Mourinho’s task is to take down a Barcelona team that have won two La Liga titles in succession .”
“But the second new ball came to Australia’s aid as the Bangladeshis lost Najmul, Mushfiqur (36) and Litton Das (0) in quick succession, all caught at second slip by Smith.”
Inherited from Middle English [Term?], from Old French succession, from Latin successiō (noun).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.