What does successively mean?
Successively is an adverb meaning one after another or in a planned sequence. It describes actions, events, stages, or qualities that follow each other in turn rather than occurring at the same time. For example, a performer may successively address several sections of an audience, or a series of measurements may become successively smaller. The word is especially useful in formal and technical writing, where it clearly signals an ordered progression without implying that the events happen instantly. It can also indicate that something changes in stages: “The walls became successively warmer.” In less formal contexts, alternatives such as “one after another,” “in turn,” and “consecutively” are often more accessible. Successively should not be confused with successfully: the former concerns sequence and timing, while the latter concerns achievement or favorable results.
adverbOne after another or in sequence, especially with events or stages following one another in turn.
- One after another; in sequence or in turn.
"The audience became progressively louder as the performers successively took the stage."
"The team won three championships successively."
"She successively reduced the temperature and lowered the lights to prepare the room for the experiment."
Successively comes from the same Latin idea as succession: the movement from one event or step to the next.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of successively
Successively was formed in English in the 16th century from successive, a word derived from Latin successivus, meaning “following” or “coming after.” The Latin adjective came from succedere, “to go after, follow, or succeed,” which is also the source of related English words such as successor and succession. The adverb thus preserves the original sense of proceeding one after another.
How successively is actually used
It is formal and precise. In everyday speech, “one after another” or “in turn” may sound more natural.
Easily confused with successively
Successively describes things happening one after another, whereas successful describes an outcome or achievement that meets a desired goal.