1
: of, relating to, consisting of, or arranged in a series, rank, or row
serial order
2
: appearing in successive parts or numbers
a serial story
3
: belonging to a series maturing periodically rather than on a single date
serial bonds
4
: of, relating to, or being music based on a series of tones in a chosen pattern without regard for traditional tonality
5
a
: performing a series of similar acts over a period of time
a serial killer
b
: occurring in or involving such a series
a serial murder
6
: relating to or being a connection in a computer system in which the bits of a byte are transmitted sequentially over a single wire compare parallel
1
a
: a work appearing (as in a magazine or on television) in parts at intervals
b
: one part of a serial work : installment
2
: a publication (such as a newspaper or journal) issued as one of a consecutively numbered and indefinitely continued series
Synonyms
Examples of serial in a Sentence
Adjective
The pictures are numbered and arranged in serial order.
Scientists made serial observations over a period of two weeks.
Noun
the university library has a vast collection of serials
Recent Examples on the Web
Jon D. Michaels, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
In July 2023, Gilgo Beach serial killing suspect Rex Heuermann was arrested and accused of the murders of four women whose remains were found along a half-mile stretch of Ocean Parkway in Long Island, N.Y.
—Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024
Noel Murray, Vulture, 5 June 2024
Only three men have starred as the character in its nearly 50-year big screen career: Christopher Reeve (1978-87), Brandon Routh (2006) and Henry Cavill (2013-2022), not counting serials that played in movie theaters in the late 1940s and early ’50s.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for serial 
Adjective
The state is already stretched thin when called upon to meet day-to-day demands, never mind when it is expected to respond to acute crises ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to the serial coups across the Sahel.
—Jon D. Michaels, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
In July 2023, Gilgo Beach serial killing suspect Rex Heuermann was arrested and accused of the murders of four women whose remains were found along a half-mile stretch of Ocean Parkway in Long Island, N.Y.
—Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 6 June 2024
Noun
Lucas — sometimes maddeningly — liked to emulate the squareness of old movie serials, with characters often speaking to each other with a kind of passionless formality that could suck the air out of scenes.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 5 June 2024
Only three men have starred as the character in its nearly 50-year big screen career: Christopher Reeve (1978-87), Brandon Routh (2006) and Henry Cavill (2013-2022), not counting serials that played in movie theaters in the late 1940s and early ’50s.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for serial
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'serial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near serial
Cite this Entry
“Serial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serial. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
serial
1 of 2 adjective
se·ri·al
ˈsir-ē-əl 
1
: consisting of or arranged in a series, rank, or row
serial order
2
: appearing in parts or numbers that follow regularly
a serial story
3
: being or relating to a connection in a computer system in which the bits of a byte are transmitted one at a time over a single wire
serial
2 of 2 noun1
: a work appearing (as in a magazine or on television) in parts at regular intervals
2
: one part of a serial work
serialist
noun
ˈsir-ē-ə-ləst
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