subsequent
Americanadjective
-
occurring or coming later or after (often followed byto ).
subsequent events;
Subsequent to their arrival in Chicago, they bought a new car.
-
following in order or succession; succeeding.
a subsequent section in a treaty.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of subsequent
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin subsequent-, stem of subsequēns “following close behind,” present participle of subsequī “to follow close behind,” equivalent to sub- sub- + sequ(ī) “to follow”
Explanation
For something that comes after something else in time or order, choose the adjective subsequent. If the entire class fails an exam, the teacher will hopefully make subsequent ones a little easier. Subsequent comes from the Latin subsequi "to follow closely" and means just that - following or coming after. If you say, "in 1990 and subsequent years," it includes 1990, whereas "the years subsequent to 1990" do not include it. When you mention a car crash and subsequent traffic jam or a scandal and subsequent investigation, one follows the other in order but a cause and effect relationship is implied too.
Vocabulary lists containing subsequent
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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List 3
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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.
Some subsequent presidents enjoyed the retreat as well, but it was soon out of fashion as they began to travel further afield for their vacations.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
The Wellness Company brand promoted in many of the videos saw a subsequent spike in online searches, according to Google Trends data.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
He said "efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive" before subsequent confirmation that it had crashed near a naval base in Igbokoda, Ondo state.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
The company ground through a number of challenges: the subsequent inflationary spike that dinged real-wage growth, a financial scare when Mejuri’s primary bank, Silicon Valley Bank, collapsed, and diamond-market shock after Russia invaded Ukraine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Most importantly, the conversation at Jefferson’s quarters was merely one part of an ongoing and larger conversation in which the very survival and subsequent shape of the American republic seemed at stake.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
