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
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
Tim Lammers, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
And hey, does anyone remember the big serial killer/Liam Glasser storyline from three weeks ago..?
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 21 Feb. 2025
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 20 Feb. 2025
There was a 1944 serial, two TV movies in 1979 (the second featuring the incredible title of Captain America II: Death Too Soon), and director Albert Pyun’s barely seen 1990 flick.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for serial
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Adjective
The release of The Monkey comes just seven months after Longlegs—a serial killer thriller starring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage—instantly became a hit in theaters in July of 2024.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
And hey, does anyone remember the big serial killer/Liam Glasser storyline from three weeks ago..?
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
After beginning her acting career in the 1950s with appearances on a few anthology series, Hirson joined ABC’s daytime serial The Edge of Night in the series regular role of the vengeful and sometimes murderous Stephanie Martin.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 20 Feb. 2025
There was a 1944 serial, two TV movies in 1979 (the second featuring the incredible title of Captain America II: Death Too Soon), and director Albert Pyun’s barely seen 1990 flick.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for serial
Cite this Entry
“Serial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serial. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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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