series

noun

se·​ries ˈsir-(ˌ)ēz How to pronounce series (audio)
plural series
often attributive
1
a
: a number of things or events of the same class coming one after another in spatial or temporal succession
a concert series
the hall opened into a series of small rooms
b
: a set of regularly presented television programs each of which is complete in itself
2
: the indicated sum of a usually infinite sequence of numbers
3
a
: the coins or currency of a particular country and period
b
: a group of postage stamps in different denominations
4
: a succession of volumes or issues published with related subjects or authors, similar format and price, or continuous numbering
5
: a division of rock formations that is smaller than a system and comprises rocks deposited during an epoch
6
: a group of chemical compounds related in composition and structure
7
: an arrangement of the parts of or elements in an electric circuit whereby the whole current passes through each part or element without branching compare parallel
8
: a set of vowels connected by ablaut (such as i, a, u in ring, rang, rung)
9
: a number of games (as of baseball) played usually on consecutive days between two teams
in town for a 3-game series
10
: a group of successive coordinate sentence elements joined together
11
12
: three consecutive games in bowling
Phrases
in series
: in a serial or series arrangement

Examples of series in a Sentence

a five-part series on the history of baseball a series of articles on global warming The Yankees played a three-game series against the Red Sox last week. The play-off series between the two teams begins next week.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Series history Tennessee snapped a 4-game losing streak in the series against Arkansas and defeated the Razorbacks for the first time since a 34-13 decision at Neyland Stadium in 2007. Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2025 With more than 600 million copies of the books sold worldwide, and everything related to them continuing to do well years after the initial release of the books, one wonders how this series remains popular despite the deluge of young adult novels (and controversy) that followed it. JSTOR Daily, 12 Oct. 2025 Many of the games in the series have been blowouts, and Boise State jumped to a 10-0 lead Saturday night while stifling New Mexico’s offense, which had one first down in the first quarter. Jim Keyser, Idaho Statesman, 12 Oct. 2025 Throughout the Knife Edge series, more than one chef actually abandons the Michelin race before the awards are announced, recognizing the unsustainable toll on their families, health, and even the restaurant’s bottom line. Laurie Woolever, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for series

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from serere to join, link together; akin to Greek eirein to string together, hormos chain, necklace, and perhaps to Latin sort-, sors lot

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of series was in 1611

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Series.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/series. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

series

noun
se·​ries ˈsi(ə)r-ēz How to pronounce series (audio)
plural series
1
: a number of things or events arranged in order and connected by being alike in some way
a concert series
a series of talks
2
: a division of rock formations smaller than a system comprising rocks deposited during an epoch
3
: an arrangement of the parts of or elements in an electric circuit whereby the whole current passes through each part or element without branching
4
: a group of sentence elements of the same rank that follow one after another and are joined together
the phrase "a bowl of oranges, apples, and bananas" has a series of three nouns

Medical Definition

series

noun
se·​ries ˈsi(ə)r-(ˌ)ēz How to pronounce series (audio)
plural series
1
: a number of things or events of the same class coming one after another in spatial or temporal succession
described a new series of cases
2
: a group of specimens or types progressively differing from each other in some morphological or physiological attribute
a series of antitoxins
3
: a group of chemical compounds related in composition and structure

More from Merriam-Webster on series

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