Cool MateSerial
UK /["/ˈsɪəriəl/"]/US /["/ˈsɪriəl/"]/
Definition
doing the same thing in the same way several times; done in the same way several times
In simple words: Something that happens in a series or one after another.
Examples
- a serial rapist
- He is wanted for serial murder.
- Such people can be described as serial monogamists.
- a novel in serial form
- The BBC has taken each installment of Charles Dickens' serial novel ‘Bleak House’ and created 15 half-hour episodes.
- tasks carried out in the same serial order
Usage notes
Used to describe things that occur repeatedly or in sequence, such as 'serial killer' or 'serial number'. It may not fit well in casual conversations without context.
Grammar pattern
standalone adjective
Memory hint
Think of 'serial' like a 'series' of events happening one after another.
Collocations
- serial killer
- serial number
- serial fiction
- serial data
Synonyms
- repeated
- successive
- consecutive
- chronological
Antonyms
- singular
- isolated
Common mistakes
- Confused with 'cereal' — the breakfast food.
- Used wrongly as a verb instead of an adjective.
- Mixing up with 'series' — 'serial' implies repetition while 'series' does not.