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successor meaning and examples

2025-09-09

Meaning

A successor is a person or thing that comes after another and takes their place, position, or role. It often refers to someone who follows another in a job, leadership role, or family inheritance.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: Noun

  • Countable: Yes (successor / successors)

  • Common structure:

    • successor to + noun
    • sb’s successor

Example patterns:

  • “He was appointed successor to the chairman.”
  • “She is his successor as CEO.”

Common Phrases

  • Rightful successor – the legitimate or correct person to take over.
  • Political successor – someone who takes over political power.
  • Natural successor – someone who seems the obvious choice to take over.
  • Designated successor – officially chosen to take over.

Collocations

  • appoint a successor
  • name a successor
  • choose a successor
  • succession of leaders / rulers

Examples

  1. The board has not yet decided on the successor to the current CEO.
  2. Prince Charles was the successor to Queen Elizabeth II.
  3. She was seen as the natural successor to her mentor.
  4. The company appointed an outsider as the successor.
  5. He is considered the rightful successor of the founder.
  6. The manager trained his successor carefully before retirement.
  7. Political successors often struggle to maintain popularity.
  8. The new model is the successor to last year’s best-selling phone.
  • heir
  • follower
  • replacement
  • inheritor
  • descendant (in family context)

Antonym

  • predecessor
  • forerunner
  • ancestor (in family context)