success
noun
Success — the favorable outcome that crowns an effort or pursuit
Definition
An attainment that is successful; "his success in the marathon was unexpected"; "his new play was a great success"
In depth
Success is an attainment that is successful, the favorable, often celebrated outcome of an effort, undertaking, or pursuit. The word implies that a goal was not merely attempted but genuinely achieved, the gap between intention and outcome closed in the most desirable possible way.
Origin
The word descends from Latin successus, a coming after or favorable outcome, from succedere, to come after or succeed, formed from sub- (under, close to) and cedere (to go). That root sense of coming after or following closely behind suggests success was originally understood less as sudden triumph than as the natural result that follows when effort is properly applied.
Usage examples
"His success in the marathon was unexpected, even by his own modest expectations going into the race."
"The product's success surprised even its most optimistic early investors."
"She measured success less by recognition than by the quiet, private knowledge of having done something well."
How to use it
Success is universally useful across nearly every register and field, and writers benefit from defining, even implicitly, what particular standard of success a given passage invokes, since the word's meaning shifts considerably depending on context and personal values.
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