1
[ noun ] an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

Examples

"let's call heads a success and tails a failure" "the election was a remarkable success for Republicans"

Used in print

(Philip Reaves, "Who Rules the Marriage Bed?"...)

Too many husbands , Dr._Schillinger continues , worry about `` how well they 're doing '' , and fear that their success depends_on some trick or technique of sexual play .

(Orlin J. Scoville, Part-Time Farming...)

If you are not well acquainted_with the area in which you wish_to locate , or if you are not sure that you and your family will like and make a success of farming , usually you would do better to rent a place for a year or two before you buy .

(Brainard Cheney, "Christianity and the Tragic Vision-Ut...)

I will assume that we are all aware of the continuing struggle , with its limited and precarious success , toward conservatism .

(Edward Jablonski, Harold Arlen Happy with the Blues....)

The countrywide success of `` Lazybones '' and `` And_the_Angels_Sing '' could only lead to Hollywood , where , besides Harold_Arlen , Mercer collaborated with Harry_Warren , Jimmy_Van_Heusen , Richard_Whiting , Walter_Donaldson , Jerome_Kern , and Arthur_Schwartz .

(Raymond J. Corsini et al., Roleplaying in Business...)

The president of the firm , calculating expenses alone , felt his costs had dropped one-half while success in selection had improved over one_hundred per_cent .

2
[ noun ] an attainment that is successful

Examples

"his success in the marathon was unexpected" "his new play was a great success"

Used in print

(Frank Getlein and Harold C. Gardiner, S.J., Movies,...)

Despite the sheer beauty and spectacle of numerous documentaries , art films , and travelogues , despite the impressive financial success of such a recent development as Cinerama , the movies are at_heart a form of fiction , like the play , the novel , or the short_story .

(Jay C. Harris and John R. Van Wazer, "Detergent...)

A well publicized entrant which has achieved success only recently is the built liquid_detergent , with which the major problem today is incorporation of builder and active into a small volume using a sufficiently high builder / active ratio .

(Guy Endore, Voltaire! Voltaire!...)

Why had not this success come to him before he had plunged into his Discourse , and before he had committed himself to a life of austerity and denial ?

(Guy Bolton, The Olympians....)

By odd coincidence , on the evening of her return Shelley chose to read Parisina , which was the latest of the titled poet 's successes .

(Bruce Palmer, "My Brother's Keeper", Many Are...)

His lack of success steadily eroded his interest .

3
[ noun ] a state of prosperity or fame

Examples

"he is enjoying great success" "he does not consider wealth synonymous with success"

Used in print

("Editorials"...)

When one powerful nation strives to emulate the success of another , it is only natural .

(Max F. Millikan and Donald L. M. Blackmer,...)

It may seem to some of them that success can be purchased much less dearly by fishing in the murky waters of international politics than by facing_up to the intractable tasks at_home .

(Robert A. Futterman, The Future of Our Cities....)

They can even be rather grand , like Edward_Land 's monument to the astonishing success of Polaroid .

(Guy Bolton, The Olympians....)

She was resentful of his easy success as compared with Shelley 's failure .

(Arthur Miller, "The Prophecy," in The Best...)

There was never a doubt any_more how his structures would be received ; it was always the same unqualified success now .

4
[ noun ] a person with a record of successes

Examples

"his son would never be the achiever that his father was" "only winners need apply" "if you want to be a success you have to dress like a success"

Used in print

(Guy Endore, Voltaire! Voltaire!...)

That after all his years of effort to become a composer , he should now , now when he was still stoutly replying to the critics of his Discourse_on_the_Arts_and_Sciences , be so close to a success in music and have_to reject it .

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