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Synonyms

sequential

American  
[si-kwen-shuhl] / sɪˈkwɛn ʃəl /

adjective

  1. characterized by regular sequence of parts.

  2. following; subsequent; consequent.

  3. Business. by comparison with the immediately preceding period, usually a fiscal quarter.

    a sequential increase in gross profit.


sequential British  
/ sɪˈkwɛnʃəl, sɪˌkwɛnʃɪˈælɪtɪ /

adjective

  1. characterized by or having a regular sequence

  2. another word for sequent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of sequential

First recorded in 1815–25; sequent + -ial

Explanation

Use the word sequential to describe something that has a particular order, like a recipe for chocolate chip cookies whose steps must be followed in a sequential order. If you make a list of things you need to do, starting with number 1 and continuing until all your tasks are accounted for, then you’ve made a sequential list. Something that is sequential often follows a numerical or alphabetical order, but it can also describe things that aren’t numbered but still need to take place in a logical order, such as the sequential steps you follow for running a program on your computer.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing sequential

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.

See Examples For:

The findings were published in Materials Today in a study titled "A sequential dual-passivation strategy for designing stainless steel used above water oxidation."

From Science Daily Aug. 11, 2026

In terms of timeframe, the document we have seen says only that this would happen "in a gradual, sequential, and time-bound manner, based on an implementation schedule to be prepared within 14 days."

From BBC Jul. 31, 2026

“Our year is progressing with expected further sequential improvement in quarterly deliveries, revenues, and gross margin in the back half of fiscal 2026,” executive chairman Jeffrey Mezger said on a Tuesday call discussing its results.

From Barron's Jun. 26, 2026

Growth in cloud applications decelerated by 2 percentage points on a sequential basis, to 9%, “keeping the SaaSpocalypse theory alive,” according to Thill.

From MarketWatch Jun. 11, 2026

Lawrence had decreed that the electrical field that delivered the sequential jolts to the spiraling protons should be present only in the gap between the two dees.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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