Successor

A successor is a person or thing that follows another in a sequence, in a position, or in status. The term is used across contexts to denote the entity that takes over or follows after a predecessor. The term is contrasted with predecessor (the one who came before) and, in many contexts, with heir (one who is entitled to inherit).

In royal and political contexts, succession refers to the transfer of authority or title, typically governed by laws, constitutions, or custom. Succession may be hereditary, elective, or mixed. Rules—such as primogeniture or constitutional rules—determine who is eligible to succeed and under what conditions, sometimes leading to disputes or constitutional crises.

In business and organizations, succession planning identifies potential successors to key leaders and roles to ensure continuity. A designated successor may assume duties gradually, or as part of an interim period.

In law and property, a successor may stand in the place of another for rights and obligations. A successor in title acquires property through inheritance, deed, or statute.

In mathematics and computer science, a successor is the next element in a well-ordered sequence. For natural numbers, the successor of n is n+1. In set theory, the successor of a set a is a ∪ {a}. In computing, a program may refer to the successor state or version following the current one.

In other uses, the term appears in contexts like genealogies or historical writing, where a figure is described as the successor to another.

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