line of succession
Throne waiting list
A line of succession is the ordered sequence of people entitled to inherit a position, title, or property when the current holder dies or steps down.
Royal families have lines of succession determining who becomes monarch next.
In government, the presidential line of succession establishes who assumes power if the president cannot serve: The vice president is first in the line of succession.
Organizations may have similar arrangements for leadership transitions.
- heirOne who receives legacy
- successorOne who replaces another
- inheritanceProperty received from ancestors
- throneCeremonial chair for sovereigns
- pretenderIllegitimate claimant to power
primogeniture · regency · abdication · hierarchy · crown · heir presumptive · rightful heir · dynasty · royal · royal family · usurper · monarchy · coronation · firstborn · entail · constitutional monarchy · prince · descendant
- monarchyking, queen, prince, princess, crown
- nobilityking, queen, prince, princess, duke
- presidencyOval Office, president, Washington, executive branch, veto
- English successionTudor dynasty, House of Windsor, heir apparent, coronation, primogeniture
- power shiftsregime change, coup d'etat, overthrow, abdication, inauguration
- Royal Heirsheir apparent, heir presumptive, crown prince, crown princess, royal heir
line of successionpower vacuum
Absence of governing authority
chaos · anarchy · succession crisis · disarray · disputed succession
line of successionpopular vote
Total of citizen votes
election · electoral process · meritocracy · direct democracy · representative government
line of successioncoup d'état
Violent government seizure
revolution · usurpation · overthrow · seizure of power · regicide
line, lines, outline, lineage, outlined, succession, outlining, linear, realignment