Other forms: successors
A successor is the person who takes over from another. Name a successor, her successor, the successor state.
It is used of jobs, thrones and offices, and naming a successor is one of the hardest tasks in any organisation. A successor is also the next version of a thing: the successor to the model, the successor state after an empire breaks up. Note predecessor, which is the opposite direction; and succession, which covers both the process and the order of who comes next — the line of succession.
1nounsuccessorThe person who takes over from another.
“The old headmaster retired and handed the school over to his successor.”
2nounversionThe next version of something.
“The new phone is the successor to last year's model.”
successor is one who follows in a role.
Latin successor comes from succedere, to follow after — sub plus cedere, to go. Succeed carries both senses because following after and doing well were the same idea to the Romans.
Latin
successor
Anglo-Norman
successour
English, today
successor
From Anglo-Norman successour, from Latin successor.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in Word Building