What does "succession" mean?
An act, process, or instance of succeeding:; An act of following in sequence.
Succession
noun
noun ·3 syllables ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act, process, or instance of succeeding:; An act of following in sequence.
- Grammar: succession is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: sequence, accession, affiliation, afterlife.
- Useful contrasts: chaos, disarray, disinheritance.
- Usage evidence: A business cycle is a recurring succession of periods of prosperity and periods of depression.
How to use "succession"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "succession" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "succession" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "succession" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "succession" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "succession" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "sequence" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "succession", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act, process, or instance of succeeding:; An act of following in sequence. countable, uncountable
"In 1958, it was reported that for "the fourth year in succession, staff of four South London stations have combined to decorate the booking hall at Peckham Rye station". They installed a nativity scene, models of Father Christmas, and a sleigh driven by huskies, and Christmas trees were placed around the station."
- 2 acquisition of property by descent or by will wordnet
- 3 An act, process, or instance of succeeding:; A sequence of things in order. countable, uncountable
"Villa spent most of the second period probing from wide areas and had a succession of corners but despite their profligacy they will be glad to overturn the 6-0 hammering they suffered at St James' Park in August following former boss Martin O'Neill's departure"
- 4 the action of following in order wordnet
- 5 An act, process, or instance of succeeding:; A passing of royal powers. countable, uncountable
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 a following of one thing after another in time wordnet
- 7 An act, process, or instance of succeeding:; A group of rocks or strata that succeed one another in chronological order. countable, uncountable
- 8 a group of people or things arranged or following in order wordnet
- 9 An act, process, or instance of succeeding:; A race or series of descendants. countable, uncountable
- 10 (ecology) the gradual and orderly process of change in an ecosystem brought about by the progressive replacement of one community by another until a stable climax is established wordnet
- 11 An act, process, or instance of succeeding:; Rotation, as of crops. countable, uncountable
- 12 An act, process, or instance of succeeding:; A right to take possession. countable, uncountable
- 13 An act, process, or instance of succeeding:; In Roman and Scots law, the taking of property by one person in place of another. countable, historical, uncountable
- 14 An act, process, or instance of succeeding:; The person who succeeds to rank or office; a successor or heir. countable, obsolete, rare, uncountable
"long descent of Kings , whose names only for many successions without other memory stand thus register'd"
Antonyms
Example
"A business cycle is a recurring succession of periods of prosperity and periods of depression."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "succession"?
Common synonyms include: sequence, accession, affiliation, afterlife, alternation, ancestry.
How do you use "succession" in a sentence?
A business cycle is a recurring succession of periods of prosperity and periods of depression.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English [Term?], from Old French succession, from Latin successiō (noun).