Definition of SUCCESSION (original) (raw)

1

a

: the order in which or the conditions under which one person after another succeeds to a property, dignity, title, or throne

b

: the right of a person or line to succeed

c

: the line having such a right

2

a

: the act or process of following in order : sequence

b(1)

: the act or process of one person's taking the place of another in the enjoyment of or liability for rights or duties or both

(2)

: the act or process of a person's becoming beneficially entitled to a property or property interest of a deceased person

c

: the continuance of corporate personality

d

: unidirectional change in the composition of an ecosystem as the available competing organisms and especially the plants respond to and modify the environment

3

a

: a number of persons or things that follow each other in sequence

b

: a group, type, or series that succeeds or displaces another

Examples of succession in a Sentence

As third in the line of succession, she would only become queen if her brothers both died or became ineligible.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

As in the movie, a succession of mini-scandals has threatened to derail one Best Picture contender after another, amounting to one of the messiest campaign seasons in recent memory. —Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2025 The first four films followed Neve Campbell's character, Sidney Prescott, and her struggle against a succession of murderers who adopt the guise of Ghostface, a masked killer motivated by revenge, jealousy, and notoriety. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025 The dad then spits out a succession of between three and seven froglets, according to National Geographic. —Issy Ronald, CNN, 3 Feb. 2025 Powerbrokers within the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the clerical establishment have had years to prepare for succession. —Ian Bremmer, TIME, 2 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for succession

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin succession-, successio, from succedere

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of succession was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near succession

Cite this Entry

“Succession.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/succession. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.

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Last Updated: 10 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences

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