ensuing
Americanadjective
adjective
-
following subsequently or in order
-
following or occurring as a consequence; resulting
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ensuing
Explanation
If you go snowboarding in a leotard, prepare for an ensuing cold. Ensuing means "coming right after, or as a result of something that happened." Ensuing is the adjective form of the verb ensue, which comes from the Old French ensuivre, which means "following in." We usually use it to show cause and effect. Blame your entrepreneurial friend who takes bets in the lunchroom for the ensuing crackdown on employee gambling. An ensuing event happens right after its cause. If a dog bites you when you're eight, and twenty years later you start having nightmares about dog bites, those aren't ensuing nightmares. They're surfacing memories.
Vocabulary lists containing ensuing
I, Robot
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"Say It with Flowers" and "The Journey"
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Outcasts United
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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.
As Ed Sheeran prepares to continue his Loop tour as scheduled, read on to learn about what led to the controversy surrounding it and the ensuing fallout.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The Trojans mounted a 12-play scoring drive on the ensuing possession, and Maiava found Bowman for a five-yard score.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
In the ensuing 25 years there have been numerous intelligence successes as well as failures on both sides of the Atlantic.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
“Mother of Sorrows” tracks the ensuing investigation from the perspectives of multiple characters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Zannikos confirms part of the account but says the firing had nothing to do with the scuffle or the ensuing dispute.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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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.