Definition of SUBSEQUENT

Subsequent vs. Consequent

The English language has many ways to indicate that something has come after another thing, but a number of these words have subtle differences that you may want to observe.

Something is subsequent if it follows something else in time, order, or place. Its meaning is very similar to that of following or later, but it has a more formal tone to it and may imply that something not only follows but in some way grows out of or is otherwise closely connected with what precedes it (“their courtship and subsequent marriage”).

Consequent may also be used of something that follows, but that does so explicitly as a result of something else (“I said an insensitive thing and the consequent argument lasted for days”).

There may be occasions when either subsequent or consequent would work ("her wounding and subsequent [or consequent] loss of blood"); your choice in such cases would depend upon whether you want to stress the order of events or the causal relationship between one event and another.

Examples of subsequent in a Sentence

Her subsequent account of her ordeal, "The Upstairs Room" (1972), was a young adult tour de force, winning a Newbery Honor and other awards. Compared with Anne Frank's "Diary of a Young Girl," it is sparer and sterner. — Leslie Garis, New York Times Book Review, 22 Feb. 2009 In the past, collectors would often hand over partial ownership of a painting—usually from 10% to 20%—and take a tax deduction for an equivalent percentage of the appraised value. The write-off on subsequent donations could rise each time the painting's value grew. Donors got a tax break, and museums got the art to exhibit for a period of time each year. Many such paintings were ultimately bequeathed to the museums. — Jeanne McDowell, Time, 20 Nov. 2006 In 1991, the Nurses' Health Study found that women receiving hormone therapy (estrogen and progestin) enjoyed a big (44 percent) reduction in the risk of coronary artery disease, and millions of women were encouraged to begin the therapy to counteract the effects of menopause. But in 2002, the Women's Health Initiative produced a radically different conclusion: Hormone therapy increases the risk of coronary events in post-menopausal women by 20 percent. A subsequent study confirmed that result. — Wilson Quarterly, Autumn 2005 The rate of population growth reached a peak in 1999 and declined in subsequent years. Her work had a great influence on subsequent generations. Subsequent studies confirmed their findings. his arrest and subsequent conviction

Recent Examples on the Web

Aside from the requisite poop and pee poems, also getting a nod are runny noses, puke, dirty rooms, cookie-stealing (and subsequent lying), toys, sports, vacations and lots, lots more – and all are imbued with an underlying deep love. — Lynn Carey, The Mercury News, "Sanderson Dean’s ‘Stark Raving Dad’ turns frazzled parenting into poetry," 10 June 2019 In the end, a gritty 0-0 draw with South Ossetia and subsequent 6-5 defeat on penalties saw Cham hearts broken in dramatic fashion. — SI.com, "Chameria – Tournament Outsiders to European Semi-Finalists in 3 Days," 6 June 2019 The tour also provided a smattering of history and how engineering and construction in the 1940s, and subsequent decades, reshaped the river’s landscape. — Annie Gentile, courant.com, "Historical Society Celebrates Trails Day," 6 June 2019 The nearly two-year long probe into the president's ties to Moscow came to an official close last week after Mueller announced his resignation from the Department of Justice and subsequent closure of the special counsel's office. — Emily Tillett, CBS News, "House Judiciary to hold series of hearings on Mueller report," 3 June 2019 And this morning, Jagger offered an update, making the case for a saturated dye job and its subsequent pastel fade-out. — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, "Georgia May Jagger's High-Impact Hair Color is Surprisingly Low-Maintenance," 31 May 2019 However, it is believed that Schumacher himself will not be seen on camera, and his accident and subsequent state of health reportedly will not be depicted in the film. — Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, "Trailer for Documentary about Formula 1 Legend Michael Schumacher to Show at Cannes," 13 May 2019 The groundbreaking podcast Serial, which re-investigated the 1999 murder of Baltimore high schooler Hae Min Lee and subsequent conviction of her former boyfriend Adnan Syed, ended on an ambiguous note. — Emma Dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "A Complete Timeline of The Case Against Adnan Syed," 31 Mar. 2019 Thus, the second conviction was not a subsequent conviction. — John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, "Mass. high court ruling creates loophole in sex offender registration law," 21 June 2018

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