sequential

adjective se·quen·tial \ si-ˈkwen(t)-shəl \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of sequential

1 :of, relating to, or arranged in a sequence :serial

sequential file systems

2 :following in sequence

3 :relating to or based on a method of testing a statistical hypothesis that involves examination of a sequence of samples for each of which the decision is made to accept or reject the hypothesis or to continue sampling

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sequentially

play \si-ˈkwen(t)-sh(ə-)lē\ adverb

See sequential defined for English-language learners

See sequential defined for kids

Examples of sequential in a Sentence

Put the cards in sequential order.
explained that if the two required algebra semesters weren't sequential, the students would likely forget the material

Recent Examples of sequential from the Web

Google has a long-running tradition of naming its Android versions after confectionery, with the names being alphabetically sequential—the current version is Android Nougat.

— david meyer, Fortune, "Google’s Android 8.0 Will Be Known As ‘Oreo’ and Its Rollout Is Imminent," 22 Aug. 2017
RAID-optimized (this stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks, a safety net in case of malfunction) and speeds up to 360 MB/s sequential reads, the new My Book Duo is quite simply a speedy storage monster.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Western Digital's New External Hard Drive Is a 20TB Monster," 22 Aug. 2017
Sequential art and science fiction have always been closely linked.

— erin blakemore, Washington Post, "What’s your science teacher doing in a comic book?," 19 Aug. 2017
The report calls on the S&WB to perform sequential water tests where samples are taken over time, especially in areas affected by road work and service line replacements.

— jennifer larino, NOLA.com, "Should New Orleanians be concerned about lead in their tap water? New report says yes," 19 July 2017
To safeguard from unauthorized access, the safes are built with pry-resistant doors and steel exteriors, and the only way to unlock them is by entering a full sequential code into the keypad or using the backup key if the user forgets the code.

— andres guerra luz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "SentrySafe launches upgraded pistol safes," 19 July 2017
Trump's early-morning tweet embraced a sequential approach favored by only a handful of conservatives eager to take quick action on one of the party's foremost priorities — repealing Obamacare, something Republicans have long promised to do.

— alan fram, chicagotribune.com, "Trump urges Republicans to repeal Obamacare now and replace it later," 30 June 2017
SanDisk says this drive has sequential read speeds of up to 545MB/s and write speeds up to 525MB/s.

— ian paul, PCWorld, "Amazon has knocked $50 off the price of a 1TB SSD," 27 June 2017
Like great hitting, great pitching requires separate and sequential rotations—the turn of the hips followed by the turn of the torso, like one tornado atop another.

— tom verducci, SI.com, "Special K: Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel is compiling one of the greatest seasons ever," 19 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sequential.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Things in sequence, or regular order, are arranged sequentially. Most novels and films move sequentially, but some use techniques such as flashbacks that interrupt the movement forward in time. Sequential courses in college must follow each other in the proper order, just like sequential tasks or steps.