success

[ suhk-ses ]
See synonyms for: successsuccesses on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one's goals.

  2. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

  1. a performance or achievement that is marked by success, as by the attainment of honors: The play was an instant success.

  2. a person or thing that has had success, as measured by attainment of goals, wealth, etc.: She was a great success on the talk show.

  3. Obsolete. outcome.

Origin of success

1
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin successus, equivalent to succēd-, stem of succēdere succeed + -tus suffix of verb action, with -dt- regularly becoming -ss-

Other words for success

Other words from success

  • suc·cess·less, adjective
  • suc·cess·less·ly, adverb
  • suc·cess·less·ness, noun
  • non·suc·cess, noun
  • pre·suc·cess, noun
  • sem·i·suc·cess, adjective, noun

Words Nearby success

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use success in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for success

success

/ (səkˈsɛs) /


noun
  1. the favourable outcome of something attempted

  2. the attainment of wealth, fame, etc

  1. an action, performance, etc, that is characterized by success

  2. a person or thing that is successful

  3. obsolete any outcome

Origin of success

1
C16: from Latin successus an outcome, from succēdere to succeed

Derived forms of success

  • successless, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012