English Reference
noun

successor

n.
US /səkˈsɛsɝ/ UK /səksˈɛsɐ/ suc·ces·sor UK spelling successor's, successor's

  1. 01 C1 Advanced Formal

    a person who takes a job or position after the previous person leaves.

    a person who succeeds another in an office, title, or position of authority.

    Simple

    The company board is currently looking for a successor to the retiring CEO.

    In context

    The prime minister struggled to find a suitable successor who could unite the fractured party before the upcoming general election.

    Usage

    Often followed by the preposition 'to'.

  2. 02 C2 Proficiency Technical Math

    the number that comes immediately after another number.

    the integer, ordinal, or cardinal number immediately following a given number in a sequence.

    Simple

    In the set of whole numbers, the successor of five is six.

    In context

    The Peano axioms define natural numbers by starting with zero and applying a successor function to generate the rest of the set.

    Usage

    Used as a countable noun in set theory and arithmetic.

The Scottish Football Association hopes to name the Belgian Sébastien Pocognoli as the successor to Steve Clarke as manager early next week.

The Guardian· 15 Aug 2026

From the title onwards, this retro shooter is one long homage to GoldenEye, and to its un-Bonded successor, 2000’s Perfect Dark.

The Guardian· 13 Aug 2026

From Anglo-Norman successour, from Latin successor.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated