sequel

American  

[see-kwuhl] / ˈsi kwəl /

noun

• sequels
  plural

1. a literary work, movie, etc., that is complete in itself but continues the narrative of a preceding work.

2. an event or circumstance following something; subsequent course of affairs.

3. a result, consequence, or inference.

   Synonyms:

   end, outgrowth, upshot, aftermath

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sequel British  

/ ˈsiːkwəl /

noun

1. anything that follows from something else; development

2. a consequence or result

3. a novel, play, etc, that continues a previously related story

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sequel Cultural  

1. A narrative or dramatic work complete in itself but designed to follow an earlier one. Through the Looking-Glass is a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sequels
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sequel sequels

A sequel to How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days is in development, more than 20 years after the original hit rom-com was released, with original star Kate Hudson set to produce.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

And with most of the original cast now long gone, the latest sequel often feels as cursed as that treacherous netherworld.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

“The End of Oak Street” has everything a viewer could want — especially a viewer fatigued by the Hollywood sequel system and all its shortcomings.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

A sequel to Kpop Demon Hunters is also in the works, while Netflix is reportedly considering, external other follow-up projects such as a television series and stage musical.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

They fight all the time, so I figured that the movie was at least something different, which it wasn’t because it was a sequel.

From "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky

"The drop from number five's opening in July 2023 is substantial but typical of these sequels."

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

Domestically, its $124.5 million debut was the third biggest for any film this year, behind the animated sequels “Toy Story 5” and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

The 1993 blockbuster dominated his filmography and sparked a series of sequels and reboots - including the recent Jurassic World series, in which he reprised his role as palaeontologist Dr Alan Grant.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

The industry has long been criticized for leaning too hard on sequels, franchises and remakes led by well-seasoned directors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

But I’d also played hundreds of other classic text adventure games that year, including all of Zork’s sequels, and so most of the details of the game had now faded in my memory.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• conclusion
• ending
• sequence
• series