consecutive
Americanadjective
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following one another in uninterrupted succession or order; successive.
six consecutive numbers, such as 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
- Synonyms:
- continuous
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marked by logical sequence.
-
Grammar. expressing consequence or result.
a consecutive clause.
adjective
-
(of a narrative, account, etc) following chronological sequence
-
following one another without interruption; successive
-
characterized by logical sequence
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music another word for parallel
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grammar expressing consequence or result
consecutive clauses
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of consecutive
First recorded in 1605–15; consecut(ion) + -ive
Explanation
If things are consecutive, they happen one after the other with no break. If there are five consecutive snowstorms on five consecutive days, you'll have to shovel your way out on day six. Consecutive comes from the Latin consecutus, meaning "following closely" with no gap. Just like those snowstorms — one storm happened each day, back to back, for five days in a row. Consecutive numbers also follow each other, or advance in the right order. For example, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 are consecutive numbers. You should number the pages on a term paper to keep them consecutive so the teacher doesn't get confused.
Vocabulary lists containing consecutive
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 2
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List 4
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ACT Vocabulary List
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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.
Orders for durable goods grew at a strong pace in April, a second consecutive monthly increase, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
The decline finally stabilized after consecutive bullish hammer candles appeared in March 2025, followed by back-to-back bullish engulfing candles during the Liberation Day lows in April.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Unless it’s Team A, by virtue of selecting first using Team B’s pick the previous season, that is eligible to pick first in consecutive seasons.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Wales also broke May records for the second consecutive day, as provisional temperatures reached 32.3C at Cardiff's Bute Park, surpassing Monday's 32.2C at Hawarden Airport in Flintshire.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
Sequences of heads and tails of a given length, say twenty flips, generally have a certain number of consecutive runs of heads.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
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.
