- 1[countable, usually singular] a number of people or things that follow each other in time or order synonym series a succession of visitors He's been hit by a succession of injuries since he joined the team. She has won the award for the third year in succession. They had three children in quick succession. The gunman fired three times in rapid succession. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveendless, long, never-ending, … prepositionin succession, succession of See full entry
- 2[uncountable] the regular pattern of one thing following another thing the succession of the seasons the succession of images on a screen Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveendless, long, never-ending, … prepositionin succession, succession of See full entry
- 3[uncountable] the act of taking over an official position or title; the right to take over an official position or title, especially to become the king or queen of a country He became chairman in succession to Bernard Allen. She's third in order of succession to the throne. a line of succession Wordfinderkingabdicate, accede, crown, king, government, monarch, throne, reign, royal, succession Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveorderly, disputed, dynastic, … verb + successionensure, secure prepositionin succession to phrasesthe line of succession, the order of succession, the right of succession, … See full entry see also succeed Word OriginMiddle English (denoting legal transmission of an estate or the throne to another, also in the sense ‘successors, heirs’): from Old French, or from Latin successio(n-), from the verb succedere ‘come close after’, from sub- ‘close to’ + cedere ‘go’.Extra examples Betty Munn is the manager in succession to Edna Greenan. He is next in (the) line of succession to the British throne. He wanted to have a son to ensure the succession. The party has always attempted to secure an orderly succession of leaders. There has been a rise in crime for the second year in succession. This set in motion a succession of events. We lost three secretaries in quick succession. Gunshots were heard in rapid succession. I rented out the cottage to a succession of tenants. She was cared for by a succession of nannies. She’s third in order of succession to the throne. The succession of the seasons seemed to speed up as he got older. The team lost the final six years in succession. They won several games in quick succession.
Check pronunciation: succession
