What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
subsequent
Example
The company experienced a decline in sales in the subsequent quarter. [subsequent: adjective]
Example
The subsequent investigation revealed new evidence. [subsequent: adjective]
successive
Example
The team won three successive games in a row. [successive: adjective]
Example
The company has had five successive quarters of growth. [successive: adjective]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Subsequent is more commonly used than successive in everyday language, as it covers a wider range of contexts. However, successive is still a useful word to know, especially when talking about a series of events or actions that occur in a row.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between subsequent and successive?
Both subsequent and successive are formal words that are appropriate for use in academic or professional writing. However, subsequent may be slightly more formal than successive due to its Latin roots and more specialized usage.
