subsequent
Americanadjective
-
occurring or coming later or after (often followed byto ).
subsequent events;
Subsequent to their arrival in Chicago, they bought a new car.
-
following in order or succession; succeeding.
a subsequent section in a treaty.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of subsequent
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin subsequent-, stem of subsequēns “following close behind,” present participle of subsequī “to follow close behind,” equivalent to sub- sub- + sequ(ī) “to follow”
Explanation
For something that comes after something else in time or order, choose the adjective subsequent. If the entire class fails an exam, the teacher will hopefully make subsequent ones a little easier. Subsequent comes from the Latin subsequi "to follow closely" and means just that - following or coming after. If you say, "in 1990 and subsequent years," it includes 1990, whereas "the years subsequent to 1990" do not include it. When you mention a car crash and subsequent traffic jam or a scandal and subsequent investigation, one follows the other in order but a cause and effect relationship is implied too.
Vocabulary lists containing subsequent
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Researchers have often focused on the timing of the decline and subsequent rise.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
“We would hope that should our investigation continue we would have enough material to make a subsequent documentary,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Aubameyang - 33 when he joined - struggled to find form or game time under subsequent bosses Graham Potter and Frank Lampard and, like Sterling, ended up leaving the club on a free transfer.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Research published by Spencer Stuart in 2020 showed that, while nearly all of the experienced CEOs outperformed the market in their first role, only about 40% managed to do the same in subsequent positions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
As ghastly as it had been, there was no denying that Bunny’s murder had thrown all subsequent events into a kind of glaring Technicolor.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
