# succession

/səkˈsɛʃən/ (US) · /səksˈɛʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/succession
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a series of events

noun · CEFR B2

a number of similar things or events that happen one after another.

For teachers: a number of people or things of a similar kind following one after another in time or space.

- The team won a succession of games and moved to the top of the league.
- A rapid succession of technological breakthroughs in the late twentieth century fundamentally altered the global telecommunications landscape.

### 2. inheriting a position

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the process of taking over a title, office, or property from the person who had it before.

For teachers: the action or process of inheriting a title, office, or property, often governed by specific legal or hereditary rules.

- The prince is second in the line of succession to the throne.
- The sudden death of the CEO triggered a complex succession plan that had been drafted by the board of directors years earlier.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'to'.

### 3. ecological change

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Academic

the natural process where different types of plants and animals replace each other in an area over time.

For teachers: the process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time, typically following a disturbance.

- After the forest fire, we observed the natural succession of plants returning to the land.
- Primary succession began on the barren volcanic rock, starting with lichens and mosses before larger vascular plants could establish themselves.

## Examples

- The team won three games in quick succession.
- The sudden death of the king led to a crisis regarding the line of succession to the throne.
- Ecologists observed a predictable succession of plant species as the abandoned farmland gradually returned to its original forested state over several decades.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.