"supplying the place of something else," 1640s, with -ous + Latin succedaneus "succeeding, acting as substitute" (see succeed).

The noun succedaneum (the Latin neuter form) is attested by 1660s, earlier Englished as succedane (c. 1600), succedany (1650s), "a substitute, one who or that which supplies the place of another," especially of inferior drugs substituted for better ones. Related: Succedaneal.

early 14c., successioun, "fact or right of succeeding someone by inheritance," from Old French succession "inheritance; a following on" (13c.) and directly from Latin successionem (nominative successio) "a following after, a coming into another's place, result," noun of action from successus, past participle of succedere (see succeed).

The meaning "fact of being later in time" is late 14c. The meaning "a regular sequence, a following of things in order" is from mid-15c.

early 15c., successif, "following one after another in time or order; having successive stages or parts," from Old French successif and directly from Medieval Latin successivus "successive," from success-, stem of Latin succedere "to come after" (see succeed). Related: Successively; successiveness.

"one who or that which comes after and replaces another," c. 1300, successour, from Anglo-French successor and Old French successour "successor, heir" (12c., Modern French successeur), from Latin successor "follower, successor," agent noun from past-participle stem of succedere "to come after" (see succeed). Related: Successory.

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to go, yield."

It might form all or part of: abscess; accede; access; ancestor; antecede; antecedent; cease; cede; cession; concede; decease; exceed; excess; incessant; intercede; necessary; precede; predecessor; proceed; recede; recess; recession; secede; secession; succeed; success.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit sedhati "to drive, chase away;" Avestan apa-had- "turn aside, step aside;" Latin cedere "to yield, give place; to give up some right or property," originally "to go from, proceed, leave;" Old Church Slavonic chodu "a walking, going," choditi "to go."

word-forming element of Latin origin meaning "under, beneath; behind; from under; resulting from further division," from Latin preposition sub "under, below, beneath, at the foot of," also "close to, up to, towards;" of time, "within, during;" figuratively "subject to, in the power of;" also "a little, somewhat" (as in sub-horridus "somewhat rough"), from PIE *(s)up- (perhaps representing *ex-upo-), a variant form of the root *upo "under," also "up from under," which also yielded Greek hypo- and English up.

The Latin word also was used in Latin as a prefix and in various combinations. In Latin it was reduced to su- before -s- and assimilated to following -c-, -f-, -g-, -p-, and often -r- and -m-.

In Old French the prefix appears in the full Latin form only "in learned adoptions of old Latin compounds" [OED], and in popular use it was represented by sous-, sou-; as in French souvenir from Latin subvenire, souscrire (Old French souzescrire) from subscribere, etc.

The original meaning is now obscure in many words from Latin (suggest, suspect, subject, etc.). The prefix is active in Modern English; the indication generally being:

1. "under, beneath, at the bottom of;" in adverbs "down, low, lower;"

2. "inferior part, agent, division, or degree; inferior, having subordinate position" (subcontractor) also forming official titles (subaltern);

It also can indicate "division into parts or sections;" "next below, near, close to" (subantarctic); "smaller" (sub-giant); and it may be used generally as "somewhat, partial, incomplete" (subliterate).

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "under," also "up from under," hence "over."

It might form all or part of: above; assume; Aufklarung; eave; eavesdropper; hyphen; hypo-; hypochondria; hypocrisy; hypotenuse; hypothalamus; hypothesis; hypsi-; hypso-; opal; open; oft; often; resuscitate; somber; souffle; source; soutane; souvenir; sub-; subject; sublime; subpoena; substance; subterfuge; subtle; suburb; succeed; succinct; succor; succubus; succumb; sudden; suffer; sufficient; suffix; suffrage; suggestion; summon; supine; supple; supply; support; suppose; surge; suspect; suspend; sustain; up; up-; Upanishad; uproar; valet; varlet; vassal.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit upa "near, under, up to, on," Greek hypo "under," Latin sub "under, below," Gothic iup, Old Norse, Old English upp "up, upward," Hittite up-zi "rises."