serial

UK: /ˈsɪəriəl/ US: /ˈsɪriəl/ ,(sēr′ē əl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

se•ri•al /ˈsɪriəl/   n. [countable]

1. anything published, broadcast, etc., in parts at regular times.
2. Library Science a publication, as an annual report, released or printed in successive parts.

adj. [usually: before a noun]

3. published or presented in sequential parts:
   a serial story.
4. Sociology of or relating to a series:
   the serial numbers on the checks.
5. Sociology occurring in a series, one after another:
   serial murders.
6. responsible for a series of specified actions, esp. crimes:
   a serial killer.
7. Computing of or relating to the transfer of electronic data in a stream of sequential pieces of information:
   a serial printer attached to the serial port.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

se•ri•al  (sēr′ē əl), n. 

1. anything published, broadcast, etc., in short installments at regular intervals, as a novel appearing in successive issues of a magazine.
2. Library Science a publication in any medium issued in successive parts bearing numerical or chronological designation and intended to be continued indefinitely.

adj. 

3. published in installments or successive parts:
   a serial story.
4. pertaining to such publication.
5. Sociology of, pertaining to, consisting of, or occurring in a series rather than simultaneously:
   Some societies condemn both polygamy and serial marriages.
6. Sociology effecting or producing a series;
   sequential:
   The police think a serial killer is responsible for five homicides in this city last month.
7. Computing
   • Computing of or pertaining to the apparent or actual performance of data-processing operations one at a time (distinguished from parallel).
   • Computing of or pertaining to the transmission or processing of each part of a whole in sequence, as each bit of a byte or each byte of a computer word (distinguished from parallel).
8. Music, Music and Dance of, pertaining to, or composed in serial technique.

• Neo-Latin seriālis. See series, -al¹
• 1835–45

se′ri•al•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

serial / ˈsɪərɪəl/ noun

1. a novel, play, etc, presented in separate instalments at regular intervals
2. a publication, usually regularly issued and consecutively numbered

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a series
2. published or presented as a serial
3. of or relating to such publication or presentation
4. of or operating on items of information, instructions, etc, in the order in which they occur
   Compare parallel5
5. of, relating to, or using the techniques of serialism

Etymology: 19th Century: from New Latin seriālis, from Latin seriēs series

ˈserially adverb