serial 1 of 2

adjective

ˈsir-ē-əl How to pronounce serial (audio)
Definition of serialnext
as in serialized
appearing in parts or numbers that follow regularly "Uncle Tom's Cabin" first appeared as a serial novel from 1851 to 1852

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serial

2 of 2

noun

as in periodical
a publication that appears at regular intervals the university library has a vast collection of serials

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of serial
Adjective
The Well investigates more than 200 unsolved murders that continue to haunt California’s San Joaquin County, including those linked to serial killers Loren Herzog and Wesley Shermantine. — Peter White, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2026 The Center for Sacramento History has a fascinating amount of history, everything from the shovel of serial-killer landlady Dorothea Puente to the papers of pioneering civil rights attorney Nathaniel Colley. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2026
Noun
But there was a time when comic-book heroes appeared on movie screens only sparingly — particularly between the waning days of old serials and the premiere of Superman in 1978. — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Aug. 2026 The result of that compromise is a thing that has the structure of a film serial but the pacing of a feature. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for serial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serial
  1. serialized
  2. periodical
  3. newspaper
  4. journal
  5. book
  6. magazine
Adjective
  • Smith started writing a serialized prose piece entitled The Melting during the COVID-19 pandemic, and published it on her Substack.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2026
  • If that framing keeps driving engagement, expect more serialized formats that stretch a single case across multiple episodes or seasons.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of serialized
Noun
  • As mass media and periodicals became central sources of information, the daily welcomed illustrations that engaged with the issues of the day.
    — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Sexism landed her in a fringe periodical, and her endorsement of the quackery of purgatives gave her a headline.
    — Jim Downs, STAT, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of periodical
Noun
  • The Post also sought comment on Alex’s allegations; when the agency asked for Alex’s personal information, the newspaper declined to provide it, citing his safety concerns.
    — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2026
  • According to a 21-page British appeals court document shared with Ars Technica by Eesti Ekspress, the Estonian newspaper that first reported on this saga, the story begins in January 2026.
    — Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of newspaper
Noun
  • Findings of no effect tend to either be shuffled off to low-profile journals or left behind as unpublished lab lore.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026
  • As if to prove his point, a journal had just rejected his paper.
    — George Musser, Quanta Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of journal
Noun
  • Polson did not respond to messages asking him to confirm all the books are his.
    — TODD WALLACK THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
  • To be in easy reach of the spa, book into a room on the second floor, although note the corridor is prone to spa-traffic.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of book
Noun
  • Web Behrens is a freelance writer and contributing Go editor for Chicago magazine.
    — Web Behrens, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • And in 2015, Olson determined the precise time of day that Life magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt took his most famous photograph (V-J- Day in Times Square) on August 14, 1945.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of magazine

Browse Nearby Words

sergeants
serial
serialize
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Cite this Entry

“Serial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serial. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about serial

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