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
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
ABC News, 13 June 2026
The Valve founder is a serial superyacht owner (Leviathan, Rocinante, Draak—all his) that recently bought out Dutch yard Oceanco.
—Dea Jusufi, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 June 2026
This book got its start as part of the SCP Wiki, a collaborative writing space about fictional paranormal items and entities studied scientifically, and a lot of your previous works have been released as web serials.
—Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for serial
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
The Manhattan architect who lived a secret life as the Gilgo Beach serial killer has spent the past three years alone in a segregated cell, reading crime novels and occasionally being visited by his lawyers or family, according to the sheriff who oversees the jail.
—ABC News, 13 June 2026
The Valve founder is a serial superyacht owner (Leviathan, Rocinante, Draak—all his) that recently bought out Dutch yard Oceanco.
—Dea Jusufi, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Noun
Several companies have begun to supply bite-sized dramas and serials for venues like TikTok or Meta’s Reels.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 June 2026
This book got its start as part of the SCP Wiki, a collaborative writing space about fictional paranormal items and entities studied scientifically, and a lot of your previous works have been released as web serials.
—Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for serial
Cite this Entry
“Serial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serial. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
