successful

adjective

suc·​cess·​ful sək-ˈses-fəl How to pronounce successful (audio)
1
: resulting or terminating in success
a successful attempt
2
: gaining or having gained success
a successful investor
successfully adverb
successfulness noun

Examples of successful in a Sentence

the play had a successful run on Broadway sold their successful dry-cleaning business and retired to Hawaii
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
None of these has been as successful as the big four of Sons, Salesman, Crucible, and Bridge. Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 25 Jan. 2025 Aurora officials have previously called the TIF district that supported the development of the Chicago Premium Outlets one of the most successful in state history. R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 25 Jan. 2025 When these moments are successful, Blichfedlt’s appropriately gruesome experiments with body horror also underscore Elvira’s growing desperation to be beautiful. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2025 To mark the start of this era, uniting F1’s most successful driver and most successful team, every detail had to be meticulously planned. Luke Smith, The Athletic, 25 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for successful 

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of successful was in 1594

Dictionary Entries Near successful

Cite this Entry

“Successful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/successful. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

successful

adjective
suc·​cess·​ful sək-ˈses-fəl How to pronounce successful (audio)
1
: resulting or ending in success
2
: gaining or having gained success
successfully adverb
successfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on successful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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