# successor

/səkˈsɛsɝ/ (US) · /səksˈɛsɐ/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. job or title

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

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

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

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

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the number that comes immediately after another number.

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

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

## Examples

- The board of directors is looking for a successor to the CEO.
- After thirty years of leadership, the prime minister finally named a younger cabinet member as his chosen successor.
- The peaceful transition of power depends entirely on the legitimacy of the designated successor and their ability to maintain the loyalty of the existing administration.

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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.