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
Derived 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.
They will need to complete the screening at every subsequent recertification, as well.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
More sensitive information is requested in subsequent reports, for which recruits receive as much as several thousand dollars each.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
What had also helped set the stage for the stock’s rally, and the subsequent stock offering, was that investor Rich Huang and his firm, RichRich Capital, had recently disclosed stakes in the company.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
In June 2022, a subsequent High Court ruling refers to an email, dated 10 July 2020, saying the emails had been "delivered to Buckingham Palace".
From BBC • May 30, 2026
In subsequent years, however, I’ve come to feel that he might well have been right.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
