C1adjective 3K

Serial

UK /["/ˈsɪəriəl/"]/ US /["/ˈsɪriəl/"]/ Pronunciation

Definition

doing the same thing in the same way several times; done in the same way several times

Listen to definition

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.