What does "serial" mean?
A literary or dramatic work, such as a radio or television programme, published in installments, often numbered and without a specified end.
Serial
/ˈsɪɹ.i.əl/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A literary or dramatic work, such as a radio or television programme, published in installments, often numbered and without a specified end.
- Grammar: serial is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: alternate, annals of science, annual, antimasque.
- Useful contrasts: divide-and-conquer algorithms, complete work, disorder.
- Usage evidence: Last year's pop hit was set off by a serial TV drama.
How to use "serial"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "serial" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "serial" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "serial" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "serial" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "serial" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "alternate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "serial", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A literary or dramatic work, such as a radio or television programme, published in installments, often numbered and without a specified end.
- 2 a periodical that appears at scheduled times wordnet
- 3 A publication issued in successive parts, often numbered and with no predetermined end.
- 4 a serialized set of programs wordnet
- 5 A serial number, esp. one required to activate software. slang
"Go to these sites for serials, cracks and keygens."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A unit of police officers equipped with shields to tackle a riot. UK
"The practice, especially among members of shield serials, of 'whooping like cowboys and indians' and beating of truncheons on riot shields must cease as this tends to frighten and intimidate rioters."
Verb
- 1 to assign a serial number to (especially of aircraft) transitive
Adjective
- 1 Having to do with or arranged in a series. not-comparable
"These singular ribs have a very different direction from that of the serial teeth of the hinge, and cannot be taken for teeth."
- 2 Who performs a specified action or course of action repeatedly or regularly. not-comparable
"The serial killer had a string of victims across seven states."
- 3 Published or produced in installments. not-comparable
- 4 Of or relating to a grammatical aspect relating to an action that is habitual and ongoing. not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 in regular succession without gaps wordnet
- 2 of or relating to the sequential performance of multiple operations wordnet
- 3 pertaining to or occurring in or producing a series wordnet
- 4 pertaining to or composed in serial technique wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Last year's pop hit was set off by a serial TV drama."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "serial"?
Common synonyms include: alternate, annals of science, annual, antimasque, article, audience success.
How do you use "serial" in a sentence?
Last year's pop hit was set off by a serial TV drama.
How do you pronounce "serial"?
Pronounced /ˈsɪɹ.i.əl/.
Etymology
Formed as series + -al, on model of Latin seriālis, from seriēs + -ālis. Cognate to Italian seriale. First use appears c. 1823. See cite below.