serial

[seer-ee-uhl]

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

/ 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

• serially adverb
• nonserial noun
• nonserially adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of serial¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of serial¹

C19: from New Latin seriālis, from Latin seriēs _series

Example Sentences

Name, rank and serial number—even when the topic is Thomas Jefferson.

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He picked up a Stephen King book and told me his favorite serial is the “Green Mile” series.

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His strategy was to expand the company by making serial acquisitions of automotive-parts brands.

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Jimmy John Liautaud, the billionaire proprietor of the sandwich chain Jimmy John’s and a serial yacht owner, is also a serial workaholic.

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Some of the comics on the Riyadh bill would perform a private show in a serial killer’s dungeon for the right amount of money — Schulz, I’m looking at you.

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Related Words

• sequential