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
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 fact that “Scary Movie” will almost certainly get a sequel, despite the abysmal reactions, is a great thing.
From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026
After going Instagram official in real life in 2024, the couple appeared together at promotional events for both Wicked and its sequel, Wicked: For Good.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
KAT even had a cameo in the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, which is like the Godfather œuvre for the NYC fashion media.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
It appears He-Man has not seen the last of his nemesis — as long as a sequel is greenlit.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
“I slept quite a lot. I want to write you a sequel, Hazel Grace, but I’m just so damned tired all the time.”
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
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.
