Succession means the process of one person or thing following another in order, especially when taking over an important position or role. When a king dies, the succession determines who becomes the next ruler, usually the oldest child or another designated heir. Companies plan for succession by training younger employees to eventually take over when senior leaders retire.

You can see this meaning clearly in phrases like “a succession of events,” which describes things happening one after another: a succession of rainy days, a succession of victories, or a succession of visitors arriving at your door.

In nature, ecological succession describes how an ecosystem changes over time. After a forest fire, for example, grasses and small plants grow first, then bushes, then small trees, and eventually tall trees return. Each stage follows the one before it in a natural order, transforming the landscape step by step.

The related word successive means following one after another without interruption: if your soccer team wins three successive games, you've won three games in a row. A successor is the person who takes over a position: when your principal retires, their successor becomes the new principal.