a. [f. as prec. + -FUL.]
1. Of persons: That succeeds or achieves success, esp. (in recent use), that attains to wealth or position, that ‘gets on.’
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., I. i. 66. The good Andronicus,… Successefull in the Battailes that he fights.
1617. Moryson, Itin., II. 24. The Irish Kerne … became so disasterous to the English, and successefull in action…, as they shaked the English governement.
1661. Boyle, Style Script., Ep. Ded. It hath been observ’d, that Secular Persons of Quality … are generally much Successfuller in Writing of Religion … than … Men in Orders.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 351. They had been … pretty successful in their navigation.
1805. Scott, Lett., in Lockhart (1837), II. ii. 54. If I have been at all successful in the paths of literary pursuit.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xi. 83. It failed; we tried again, and were successful.
1870. E. Peacock, Ralf Skirl., II. 271. Mackenzie was a successful man.
1878. Jevons, Primer Polit. Econ., 60. Educated men who have not been successful become secretaries, house-agents,… and the like.
b. transf. of things.
1848. J. Forster, O. Goldsm., 377. There was nothing to make the town hall so fond of a man … as a successful play.
1855. Orr’s Circ. Sci., Inorg. Nat., 132. Great and successful works of art are among the most noble … of all human triumphs.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., I. 166/2. The clock was a highly successful work of the art of the period.
1890. W. J. Gordon, Foundry, 200. The Times, and … the Daily News, and many others of the successful papers in the provinces and on the Continent.
2. Of actions, conditions, etc.: Attended with, characterized by, or resulting in success.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., I. i. 172. And welcome Nephews from succesfull wars. Ibid. (1596), Tam. Shr., I. ii. 158. And perhaps with more successefull words Then you.
1638. Junius, Paint. Ancients, 79. In … rare workes of Art, we are not so much taken with the beautie it selfe, as with the successfull boldnesse of Art.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., Rev. 392. They justifie all the successefull Rebellions.
1766. Goldsm., Vicar W., vii. At this he laughed, and so did we: the jests of the rich are ever successful.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., XIX. v. V. 502. The successfullest campaign that ever was.
1891. Speaker, 2 May, 532/2. The jugglery of words was never more successful than in this distinction without a difference.
† 3. a. Bringing success, propitious. Obs. rare.
c. 1592. Marlowe, Jew of Malta, I. i. Making … the winds To driue their substance with successefull blasts.
† b. Conducive or necessary to success. Obs.
1657. Austen, Fruit Trees, I. 135. It is very succesfull that we proportion Grafts and stocks in Grafting.
