serial

American  

[seer-ee-uhl] / ˈsɪər i əl /

noun

1. anything published, broadcast, etc., in short installments at regular intervals, as a novel appearing in successive issues of a magazine.

2. Library Science. a publication in any medium issued in successive parts bearing numerical or chronological designation and intended to be continued indefinitely.

---

adjective

1. published in installments or successive parts.

   a serial story.

2. pertaining to such publication.

3. pertaining to, arranged in, or consisting of a series.

4. occurring in a series rather than simultaneously.

   serial marriage; serial murders.

5. effecting or producing a series of similar actions.

   The police think a serial killer is responsible for five homicides in this city last month.

6. Computers.

   1. of or relating to the apparent or actual performance of data-processing operations one at a time (parallel ).

   2. of or relating to the transmission or processing of each part of a whole in sequence, as each bit of a byte or each byte of a computer word (parallel ).

7. Music. of, relating to, or composed in serial technique.

serial British  

/ ˈsɪərɪəl /

noun

1. a novel, play, etc, presented in separate instalments at regular intervals

2. a publication, usually regularly issued and consecutively numbered

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a series

2. published or presented as a serial

3. of or relating to such publication or presentation

4. computing of or operating on items of information, instructions, etc, in the order in which they occur Compare parallel

5. of, relating to, or using the techniques of serialism

6. logic maths (of a relation) connected, transitive, and asymmetric, thereby imposing an order on all the members of the domain, as less than on the natural numbers See also ordering

Other Word Forms

• nonserial noun
• nonserially adverb
• serially adverb

Etymology

Origin of serial

From the New Latin word seriālis, dating back to 1835–45. See series, -al ¹

Example Sentences

“There’s no unique serial number on a load of lobster meat,” Burroughs said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Why our top picks of the year were about serial killers, silence and the enduring grace of the written word, according to The Times’ reviewers.

From Los Angeles Times

Why our top picks of the year were about serial killers, silence and the enduring grace of the written word, according to The Times’ reviewers.

From Los Angeles Times

Of this lineup of serial offenders, Sartre and Merleau-Ponty had prior convictions, mostly for communism, and only Barthes had a sense of humor.

From The Wall Street Journal

When sold to UK consumers, products should come with instructions written in clear English, and a batch or serial number for identification.

From BBC

Related Words

• sequential