successively

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "successively" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that happens or is done one after the other, such as "The team completed their tasks successively and finished the project on time."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Kosslyn plausibly assumes that images fade over time, and successive letters of the alphabet represent older, successively more faded portions of the image.

SEP

BlackBerry has successively written down $934m and $1.6bn on unsold inventory of handsets and other inventory, mostly of BB10 handsets.

The Guardian - Tech

Initial fascination is speedily undermined, however, as visitors move through rooms made successively narrower by metal plates, while the horrific consequences are projected along the sides.

The Economist

In the revised version, if you add more and more capital to a given labour force, or an increasing number of workers to a fixed amount of capital, the result will be successively smaller increases in output.So far, so good.

The Economist

Thereafter, America vied with the Soviet Union for supremacy in aerospace's equivalent of "mine's bigger than yours", as successively taller rockets lobbed larger payloads further afield.The legacy of all this posturing is a view of space travel as a macho, gung-ho affair, all about the conquest of the solar system by men with shiny suits and very big rockets.

The Economist

Even if this isn't right, it seems as if the tax relief on pensions contributions is successively 20% (for basic rate payers), 40% for higher rate payers, then 50% for those who are a bit richer then 20% for those who are even better off.

The Economist

After the seizure of Crimea, Mr Putin's attempt to establish the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine as a Russian satrapy by fomenting and arming a separatist rebellion demonstrated the "hybrid warfare" techniques that the Kremlin might use to destabilise the Baltic.The reaction to Mr Putin's aggression has so far been mostly economic, with sanctions successively tightened.

The Economist

As a result, inflation has undershot the bank's forecasts, which have been successively revised downwards (see chart).

The Economist

Over the past 20 years the public at large has successively believed that Israel should hold on to the occupied territories, give them up in a peace deal and give them up unilaterally.

The Economist

It has thus also contributed to the sense of permanent emergency that has crept into politics and policing.The other big and troubling result concerns the armed forces, which have successively felt under-equipped for the invasion, under-appreciated, embarrassed by the exposure of abuses and overstretched by their ongoing dual deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Economist

So the embryo of a mammal started off looking like the embryo of a fish, before turning successively into something like that of an amphibian and then a reptile and only later mutating into its mammalian state.Haeckel was wrong.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "successively" to clearly indicate that events or actions occur one after the other in a specific order. This helps to avoid ambiguity and ensures clarity in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "successively" when you simply mean "successfully". "Successively" refers to order, while "successfully" refers to achievement. For example, it's incorrect to say "He successively completed the project" if you mean he completed it successfully.

How to use

Learn how to use "successively" with practical examples and tips.

How to use

Linguistic Context

The adverb "successively" modifies verbs, indicating that actions or events occur in a sequence or one after another. As Ludwig AI confirms, the term is grammatically sound and effectively used to describe sequential occurrences, like "sanctions "successively tightened"".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

37%

News & Media

34%

Formal & Business

13%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "successively" is a grammatically correct adverb used to indicate that actions or events occur one after the other. According to Ludwig AI, the term is fit for use in written English. It is most frequently found in scientific and news contexts, reflecting a neutral to formal register. When writing, it's important to use "successively" to emphasize order and avoid confusing it with "successfully". Alternatives like "sequentially" or "consecutively" can be used to add nuance. Mastering the usage of "successively" and its alternatives enhances clarity and precision in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in succession

Implies a direct following of one thing after another without gaps.

consecutively

Highlights the unbroken sequence of events.

sequentially

Focuses on the ordered progression from one item to the next.

in sequence

Emphasizes the ordered arrangement of events or items.

one after another

Highlights the sequential and individual nature of each occurrence.

following each other

Directly describes the order in which events happen.

in turn

Suggests a rotational or cyclical order of events.

in a series

Emphasizes that events are part of a larger collection or group.

running

Emphasizes the continuity of the sequence.

by turns

Suggests an alternating pattern of occurrences.

FAQs

How can I use "successively" in a sentence?

You can use "successively" to indicate that events or actions happen one after the other. For instance, "The sanctions were "successively tightened"." This shows that sanctions were increased or strengthened over a period of time.

What's a good alternative to "successively"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "sequentially", "consecutively", or "in turn" to convey a similar meaning. Each option slightly alters the emphasis on the order or manner of occurrence.

Is there a difference between "successively" and "successfully"?

"Successively" means one after the other in sequence, while "successfully" means achieving a desired outcome. For example, "He "successively completed" each stage of the race" indicates order, whereas "He successfully completed the race" indicates he finished it well.

When is it appropriate to use "successively" in writing?

Use "successively" when you want to emphasize the sequential nature of events or actions. It's particularly effective in describing processes, developments, or changes that occur in a specific order, such as, "The company "successively launched" new products each quarter".