succession (n.)

early 14c., successioun, "fact or right of succeeding someone by inheritance," from Old French succession "inheritance; a following on" (13c.) and directly from Latin successionem (nominative successio) "a following after, a coming into another's place, result," noun of action from successus, past participle of succedere (see succeed).

The meaning "fact of being later in time" is late 14c. The meaning "a regular sequence, a following of things in order" is from mid-15c.

also from early 14c.

Entries linking to succession

succeed (v.)

late 14c., succeden, intransitive and transitive, "come next after, follow after another; take the place of another," especially "be heir to, be successor to" also "be elected or chosen for" a position, from Old French succeder "to follow on" (14c.) and directly from Latin succedere "come after, follow after; go near to; come under; take the place of," also "go from under, mount up, ascend," hence "get on well, prosper, be victorious." This is from sub "next to, after" (see sub-) + cedere "go, move" (from PIE root *ked- "to go, yield").

In reference to deeds or dealings, the sense of "turn out well, arrive at a happy issue, have a favorable result, terminate according to desire" in English is by early 15c., with ellipsis of adverb (succeed well). Of persons, "to be successful," from c. 1500. Related: Succeeded; succeeder; succeeding; succedent "following, consequent."

Trends of succession

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to Explore

sequence

late 14c., in church music, a composition said or sung after the Alleluia and before the Gospel, from Old French sequence "answering verses" (13c.) and directly from Medieval Latin sequentia "a following, a succession," from Latin sequentem (nominative sequens), present participl

sequence

train

from tractus, past participle of Latin trahere "to pull, draw" (see tract (n.1))., General sense of "series, progression, succession...locomotive and the cars coupled to it" is recorded from 1820 (publication year, dated 1816), from the notion of a "trailing succession...

series

1610s, "a number or set of things of one kind arranged in a line, a continued succession of similar things," also of events...following in order, from Latin series "row, chain, series, sequence, succession," from serere "to join, link, bind together...

consecution

Meaning "any succession or sequence" is from 1650s....

vicarious

another," from Latin vicarius "that supplies a place; substituted, delegated," from vicis "a change, exchange, interchange; succession...

flux

Originally "excessive flow" (of blood or excrement), it also was an early name for "dysentery;" sense of "continuous succession...

order

c. 1200, "body of persons living under a religious discipline," from Old French ordre "position, estate; rule, regulation; religious order" (11c.), from earlier ordene, from Latin ordinem (nominative ordo) "row, line, rank; series, pattern, arrangement, routine," originally "a ro

urn

late 14c., "large, rounded vase used to preserve the ashes of the dead," from Latin urna "a jar, vessel of baked clay, water-jar; vessel for the ashes of the dead" (also used as a ballot box and for drawing lots), probably from earlier *urc-na, akin to urceus "pitcher, jug," and

run

Old English, "move swiftly by using the legs, go on legs more rapidly than walking," also "make haste, hurry; be active, pursue or follow a course," and, of inanimate things, "to move over a course." The modern verb is a merger of two related Old English words, in both of which t

Share succession

‘cite’

Page URL:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/succession

HTML Link:

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/succession">Etymology of succession by etymonline</a>

APA style:

Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of succession. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/succession

Chicago style:

Harper Douglas, “Etymology of succession,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/succession.

MLA style:

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of succession.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/succession. Accessed $(datetimeMla).

IEEE style:

D. Harper. “Etymology of succession.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/succession (accessed $(datetime)).

updated on September 25, 2023

Remove ads >

Dictionary entries near succession

suc-

succedaneous

succeed

success

successful

succession

successive

successlessness

successor

succinct

succinctly