successor

successor — noun

1. A person who is chosen to take over an official role, job, or position after the

1.nounB2
Definition

A person who is chosen to take over an official role, job, or position after the previous person has left. The word can also describe a product, machine, or system that replaces an earlier version.

Example

The board of directors named Soraya as Chen's successor after her thirty years as CEO.

passive: 'named [person] as [possessive] successor'

When the museum director retired, her successor brought a fresh approach to the exhibitions.

preposition: 'successor + pronoun + verb' describing transition

Common collocations
  • appoint a successor
  • name a successor
  • choose a successor
  • designate a successor
  • natural successor
  • immediate successor
  • likely successor
  • worthy successor
  • successor to the throne
  • successor to the position
Synonyms
  • heir

    limited to inheriting a title, property, or family role; less common for appointed jobs

  • replacement

    more neutral and can be temporary; does not imply an official or planned handover

  • inheritor

    focuses on receiving a legacy or tradition, not necessarily a formal position

  • substitute

    often short-term or acting; not the permanent next person in line

Antonyms
  • predecessor

    the person who held the position before the current office-holder

  • forerunner

    earlier person or thing that paved the way; less formal than 'predecessor'

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] successor

successor to [position/person]

Usage Note

Commonly paired with a possessive (his/her/their successor) or the preposition 'to' (successor to the throne). When referring to things, the adjective 'worthy' is a frequent modifier (a worthy successor).

Common Mistakes

The new manager is the predecessor of the old one.
The new manager is the successor of the old one.
'Predecessor' is the person who came before; 'successor' is the person who comes after.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe someone who takes over from another, but the contexts differ sharply. 'Successor' is the most formal and suggests an orderly, planned transition in an official position or title — for example, a CEO's successor is chosen by a board. 'Heir' is tied to inheritance law and family line: a prince is the heir to the throne, and an heir inherits property regardless of ability. 'Replacement' is generic and often temporary; a company may hire a replacement for a sick worker, but that person is rarely called the successor. 'Inheritor' overlaps with 'heir' but is broader, covering intangibles like a tradition or artistic style (e.g., 'an inheritor of the Bauhaus movement'). 'Substitute' implies a short-term stand-in rather than a permanent next-in-line. Use 'successor' when the focus is on the formal, planned handover of a role; use 'heir' for family or legal inheritance; use 'replacement' for everyday gaps; and reserve 'inheritor' for cultural or stylistic legacies.

heir ↗replacementinheritorsubstitute

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • name someone as successor
  • appoint a successor
  • choose a successor

Prepositions

  • successor to
  • successor of

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'successor' comes from Latin 'successor' (a follower, one who follows after), which is built from 'succedere' (to come after, to go beneath or follow). 'Succedere' is a combination of 'sub-' (from under, up to) and 'cedere' (to go, to yield). The term entered English through Old French 'successour' in the 13th century, originally referring to someone who inherited a title or property. The broader meaning of anyone who follows in a role developed over the following centuries.