Word
successive
Phoneticssuc·ces·sive, stress on the second syllable
US/səkˈsɛsɪv/
UK/səksˈɛsɪv/
Definitions
01following in order
B2 · Upper Intermediate Academic
adj. happening one after another in a series.
adj. following in an uninterrupted sequence or order.
“The team won three successive games and moved to the top of the league.”
“The region suffered through four successive years of drought, leading to a total collapse of the local agricultural economy.”
Usage
Usually placed before the noun it modifies.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02hereditary
C1 · Advanced Law Formal · Technical
adj. relating to how titles or property pass from one person to the next in a family.
adj. relating to a succession, particularly regarding the inheritance of a title, office, or property.
“The crown was passed down through successive generations of the royal family.”
“The legal dispute centered on whether the successive heirs had a legitimate claim to the estate under the original 18th-century deed.”
Synonyms
03grammatical aspect
C2 · Proficiency Science Technical · Academic
adj. a special way of describing an action that must finish before another one starts.
adj. relating to a grammatical aspect where the completion of one action is a necessary premise for the main action.
“The professor explained how the successive aspect works in certain languages.”
“In linguistic typology, the successive aspect is often analyzed in relation to perfective markers that emphasize the chronological ordering of events.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “successive” in context.
Verb
01. suffer successive defeats
“The party suffered successive defeats in the local elections.”
verb + adj + noun
02. win three successive titles
“The team managed to win three successive titles, cementing their place in history.”
verb + adj + noun
Adjective
03. successive governments
“Successive governments have failed to address the growing housing crisis in the capital.”
adj + noun
04. successive attempts
“After three successive attempts, she finally passed her driving test.”
adj + noun
05. successive days
“It rained for ten successive days, causing the river to burst its banks.”
adj + noun
06. successive generations
“The family business has been passed down through four successive generations.”
adj + noun
Preposition
07. in successive years
“The company reported record profits in successive years despite the global downturn.”
prep + adj + noun
08. successive heatwaves
Confusables
Successful describes achieving a goal, while successive describes things following one after another in a sequence.
RememberSuccessful = Win. Successive = Sequence.
Real-World Examples
“The blazes follow successive heatwaves this summer that have scorched approximately 500,000 hectares of land across the European Union.” “There are 14 million adults classified as obese, despite successive governments launching 14 separate obesity strategies over the past three decades.” “Drought has been declared across large parts of central, eastern and southern England and the whole of Wales as successive heatwaves have left water supplies under strain.” “But he said he was "delighted" that the government was taking action on mental health after it had been neglected by successive governments for too long.” Etymology
From Latin succedere (“to succeed in”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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