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
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
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
Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024
It’s revealed a serial killer is on the loose in the stadium but – spoiler alert – the killer is Harnett’s character, who now has to escape the venue.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 22 Apr. 2024
At the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Scotland, a display about the 19th-century growth of the medical profession includes a small notebook purportedly bound in the skin of William Burke, part of a duo of notorious serial killers who sold their victims’ bodies for dissection.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
The serial entrepreneur then launched Builder.ai, the company that wants to make building software as easy as ordering pizza.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 18 Apr. 2024
The upcoming film will feature Hartnett as a serial killer at a pop star’s concert.
—Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
The Bronco is in the car gallery along with gangster John Dillinger's 1933 Essex-Terraplane, Bonnie and Clyde’s death car from the 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway and serial killer Ted Bundy's Volkswagen Beetle.
—Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
But the firm, led by longtime serial entrepreneur Kevin Ryan, aspires to more.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Earl Tupper, the product’s namesake, was a serial inventor who used mid-century advances in plastics technology to develop the first range of airtight food containers affordable for middle-class households.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
Abby West, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2024
The character of Perry White is a Man of Steel fixture, first introduced in a Superman radio serial in 1940.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024
Amalgamating cowboy movies, samurai stories, and episodic sci-fi serials, the series feels both like a natural extension of George Lucas' early work and something completely new.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 20 Oct. 2023
The Hindi content-watching audiences watched a similar concept in the Hindi TV serial Bahu Hamari Rajni Kant which aired in 2016-17.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024
Hayes played the character of Doug Williams on the daytime serial since 1970, five years after the show’s debut.
—Variety, NBC News, 13 Jan. 2024
The cult mystery serial’s opening credits, among the most beloved in TV history, not only highlighted the property but also spotlighted the spectacular Snoqualmie Falls, which was fictitiously called White Tail Falls.
—Partner Content, Variety, 16 Jan. 2024
The claims would explode into an international scandal, with Andrade re-cast as a violent serial pedophile and Trevi his adult accomplice.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 28 Dec. 2023
The Color Purple has been adapted into two feature films, including this year’s upcoming Christmas release, a musical version, and even a BBC radio serial.
—Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 21 Dec. 2023
Adjective
That movie stars Josh Hartnett as (ostensibly) a good-natured father taking his daughter to a concert, only to learn that the police have surrounded the arena in an effort to capture a nefarious serial killer believed to be in attendance.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024
It’s revealed a serial killer is on the loose in the stadium but – spoiler alert – the killer is Harnett’s character, who now has to escape the venue.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 22 Apr. 2024
At the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Scotland, a display about the 19th-century growth of the medical profession includes a small notebook purportedly bound in the skin of William Burke, part of a duo of notorious serial killers who sold their victims’ bodies for dissection.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
The serial entrepreneur then launched Builder.ai, the company that wants to make building software as easy as ordering pizza.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 18 Apr. 2024
The upcoming film will feature Hartnett as a serial killer at a pop star’s concert.
—Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
The Bronco is in the car gallery along with gangster John Dillinger's 1933 Essex-Terraplane, Bonnie and Clyde’s death car from the 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway and serial killer Ted Bundy's Volkswagen Beetle.
—Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
But the firm, led by longtime serial entrepreneur Kevin Ryan, aspires to more.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Earl Tupper, the product’s namesake, was a serial inventor who used mid-century advances in plastics technology to develop the first range of airtight food containers affordable for middle-class households.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
Noun
Seventy-two years after its start as a 15-minute radio serial, TV's longest-running soap opera aired its last episode in September 2009 — a year after the Irna Phillips creation began a new production model, which featured permanent sets and a lot of outdoor filming.
—Abby West, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2024
The character of Perry White is a Man of Steel fixture, first introduced in a Superman radio serial in 1940.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024
Amalgamating cowboy movies, samurai stories, and episodic sci-fi serials, the series feels both like a natural extension of George Lucas' early work and something completely new.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 20 Oct. 2023
The Hindi content-watching audiences watched a similar concept in the Hindi TV serial Bahu Hamari Rajni Kant which aired in 2016-17.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024
Hayes played the character of Doug Williams on the daytime serial since 1970, five years after the show’s debut.
—Variety, NBC News, 13 Jan. 2024
The cult mystery serial’s opening credits, among the most beloved in TV history, not only highlighted the property but also spotlighted the spectacular Snoqualmie Falls, which was fictitiously called White Tail Falls.
—Partner Content, Variety, 16 Jan. 2024
The claims would explode into an international scandal, with Andrade re-cast as a violent serial pedophile and Trevi his adult accomplice.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 28 Dec. 2023
The Color Purple has been adapted into two feature films, including this year’s upcoming Christmas release, a musical version, and even a BBC radio serial.
—Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 21 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'serial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near serial
Cite this Entry
“Serial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serial. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
serial
2 of 2 noun1
: a work appearing (as in a magazine or on television) in parts at regular intervals
2
: one part of a serial work
serialist
noun
ˈsir-ē-ə-ləst
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