serial

1 of 2

adjective

se·​ri·​al ˈsir-ē-əl 

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

serially

ˈsir-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

serial

2 of 2

noun

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 of serial

Adjective

• serialized

Noun

• periodical
• newspaper
• journal
• book
• magazine

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

Adjective

Binface, a serial candidate who has challenged prime ministers past and present, became the default challenger in a field of 34 candidates after the major parties boycotted the campaign as a political stunt by Farage. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

The murders of two Alaskan Native women, Kathleen Jo Henry and Veronica Abouchuk, at the hands of serial killer Brian Steven Smith, are centered in ID’s Lost Women of Alaska. — Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026

Noun

In the early 1960s, he was cast in the single-season CBS daytime soap Our Five Daughters — which debuted a year after the sitcom My Three Sons — beginning a string of roles in serials for Cypher. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026

John Carpenter’s dazzling epic riffs on everything from Howard Hawks to crime serials. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing serial

• serial number

Rhymes for serial

• phial
• diarrheal
• diarrhoeal
• gonorrheal
• gonorrhoeal
• laryngeal
• meningeal
• mycelial
• pharyngeal
• endothelial
• epiphyseal
• hypophyseal

Kids 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

serially

-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

serial

2 of 2 noun

1

: a work appearing (as in a magazine or on television) in parts at regular intervals

2

: one part of a serial work

serialist

ˈsir-ē-ə-ləst

noun