Word family noun success succession successor adjective successful ≠ unsuccessful successive verb succeed adverb successfully ≠ unsuccessfully
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsuccessorsuc‧ces‧sor /səkˈsesə $ -ər/ ●○○ AWL noun [countable] 1 REPLACEsomeone who takes a job or position previously held by someone else → predecessor His successor died after only 15 months in office. I’m sure she will be a worthy successor (=someone who is very good and deserves to be someone’s successor).successor to her successor to the postsuccessor as Sloan will be Barrett’s successor as treasurer.2 formalAFTER a machine, system etc that exists after another one in a process of development the transistor’s successor, the microchipCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesa worthy successor (=someone who is good and deserves to be someone's successor)He is proving to be a worthy successor to his father in the business.a possible/potential successorHe had been tipped as a possible successor to the president.a likely successorWho is his most likely successor as Director of the BBC World Service?a natural successorMurray was viewed as the natural successor to Henman as Britain's top player.an obvious successorHe doesn't have an obvious successor as leader.somebody's immediate successor (=the person who has their job or position next)Valentinian's immediate successor, Petronius Maximus, was killed in 455.verbschoose/appoint a successorThe Board met to choose his successor.find a successorNon-executive director John Evans will act as chairman until a permanent successor is found.elect a successorGhanaians went to the polls to elect President Rawlings's successor.name a successor (=tell people who the successor will be)The company is expected to name a successor for Corbett in May.be tipped as somebody's successor (=be said to be a possible or likely successor)When Tizard was about to retire as chairman, Cockcroft was tipped as his successor. Examples from the Corpus
successor• The Orchestra is currently searching for a successor to music director James Sedares.• The effort is likely to be politically disastrous, even if they can agree on a successor.• Mason is Case's chosen successor as committee chairman.• Smyth resigned as Chief Superintendent two months ago and they still haven't appointed his successor.• Two weeks after the death of Pope John Paul, the cardinals met to elect his successor.• In January 1947, Secretary of State Byrnes resigned; his successor was General Marshall.• Many people regard him as a likely successor to the current managing director.• My successor spent several months on the intercontinental telephone lines trying to locate the debtors.• Bryn Jones was bought from Wolves as James's successor in 1938 but war intervened to cut short his career.• Kuum's successor in Tallinn during the Stalinist period was Hugo Oengo.• The refrigerator was the successor to the ice box.worthy successor• Bob Stevenson has been a worthy successor to Methodist leaders who stamped their personalities on the county.• He has proved a worthy successor to them.• A worthy successor has emerged with the Annual Gala, raising funds to help village projects and renovations. 