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
Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 10 Aug. 2024
Nearly twenty years after a serial killer slit the throats of two girls in a bedroom in Texas, killing one of them, a Florida man began harassing the victim’s family and threatened to kill the surviving girl.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 10 Aug. 2024
Anant Gupta, Washington Post, 23 July 2024
Seriously, even the most serial of overpackers will be able to find room to spare with these options.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for serial 
Adjective
The book includes letters from the serial killer to his family, written during his time in prison before his 1989 execution that show his narcissistic personality.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 10 Aug. 2024
Nearly twenty years after a serial killer slit the throats of two girls in a bedroom in Texas, killing one of them, a Florida man began harassing the victim’s family and threatened to kill the surviving girl.
—Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 10 Aug. 2024
Noun
In response, Netflix and others switched gears to present safer fare, including true crime serials and rom-coms.
—Anant Gupta, Washington Post, 23 July 2024
Seriously, even the most serial of overpackers will be able to find room to spare with these options.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for serial
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 18 Aug. 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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