sequel
Americannoun
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anything that follows from something else; development
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a consequence or result
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a novel, play, etc, that continues a previously related story
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sequel
1375–1425; late Middle English sequel ( e ) < Latin sequēla what follows, equivalent to sequ ( ī ) to follow + -ēla noun suffix
Explanation
A sequel is a continuation or part two. The Empire Strikes Back and Toy Story 2 are sequels. Many successful movies have sequels. The most common meaning of sequel is for a book or movie that follows another, but the term can be used for just about anything that comes second. We might say of an actress who begins her career with a bang, "What will she do for a sequel?" A football team that wins a championship may have trouble with the sequel — trying to win another one next year. All sequels have a tough challenge — living up to the original.
Vocabulary lists containing sequel
Do-Over: Words For Groundhog Day
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Vocabulary from an excerpt from "Confessions of a 30-Year-Old Gamer," by Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for December 19–25, 2020
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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.
The lead role in the 2021 sequel, “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” went to LeBron James.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026
The 2016 animated film grossed more than $643 million at the global box office, then spawned a 2024 sequel that made more than $1 billion worldwide.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026
It still is, making this month’s arrival of the long-awaited movie sequel “Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender” feel especially fortuitous.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2026
So a sequel was the last thing anyone expected.
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
Millennium Challenge, the sequel, was won by Blue Team in a rout.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
