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n. 1. The act or process of following in order or sequence. 2. A group of people or things arranged or following in order; a sequence: "A succession of one-man stalls offered soft drinks" (Alec Waugh). See Synonyms at series. 3. a. The sequence in which one person after another succeeds to a title, throne, or position. b. The right of a person or a line of persons to so succeed. 4. a. The act or process of succeeding to the rights or duties of another. b. The act or process of becoming entitled as a legal beneficiary to the property of a deceased person. 5. Ecology The gradual replacement of one type of ecological community by another in the same area, involving a series of orderly changes, especially in the dominant vegetation, and often resulting in the establishment of a climax community. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin successiō, successiōn-, from successus, past participle of succēdere, to succeed; see SUCCEED.] suc·cession·al adj. suc·cession·al·ly adv. |
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