後継|こうけいkoukei[0]heiban (flat)

1. no-adjectivesuccession
2. nounsuccessor

• Synonym跡継ぎあとつぎCasualColloquial; the person who inherits a family business, e.g. 「農家の跡継ぎ」. Leans toward family succession; 「後継」 also covers posts, businesses, arts, products.
• Synonym後任こうにんNeutralA successor to a post, as in 「後任の部長」. Confined to jobs and offices, unlike the broader 「後継」.
• Synonym継承者けいしょうしゃWrittenWritten; an inheritor, as in 「王位継承者」 or 「伝統の継承者」. Works for status, skills or traditions alike.
• Synonym後継者こうけいしゃNeutralSame meaning as 「後継」 but clearly refers to a person, as in 「後継者問題」.
• Synonym後嗣こうしWrittenWritten; an heir or descendant, with an old-fashioned flavor.
• Related跡目あとめWrittenWritten; the family headship or the right to inherit it, as in 「跡目争い」. Leans toward yakuza or old-family settings.
• Related世継ぎよつぎWrittenWritten; an heir in royal or noble families, with a hereditary nuance.
• Related世子せいしFormalFormal; the heir of a feudal lord, with a historical flavor.
• Related継嗣けいしFormalFormal; an heir who succeeds to the family estate, rarely used today.
• Related後釜あとがまCasualColloquial; someone taking a predecessor's place, or a second wife, as in 「後釜に座る」. Can sound slightly dismissive; 「後継」 is more respectful.
• Related嗣子ししFormalFormal; the heir of a family, rarely used today.
• Antonym先代せんだいNeutralAntonym: the previous generation or former head of a family, the opposite of the succeeding 「後継」.
• Antonym前任ぜんにんNeutralAntonym: the person who held the post before, the opposite of the succeeding 「後継」.

Use 「後継」 for inheriting a predecessor's position, business or craft, as in 「後継者」 and 「後継機種」. For the heir to a family business say 「跡継ぎ」, and for a job successor 「後任」; their opposites are 「前任」 and 「先代」. The remaining terms are more specialized or dated.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 後あとを継つぐこと。後あとを継つぐ人ひと。
2. あとぞなえ。