serial 1 of 2

adjective

ˈsir-ē-əl How to pronounce serial (audio)
Definition of serialnext
as in serialized
appearing in parts or numbers that follow regularly "Uncle Tom's Cabin" first appeared as a serial novel from 1851 to 1852

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serial

2 of 2

noun

as in periodical
a publication that appears at regular intervals the university library has a vast collection of serials

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of serial
Adjective
Not serial entrepreneurs in their 60s, nor families navigating generational succession, but highly technical employees in their 30s who have suddenly acquired life-changing wealth and have little prior experience of wealth planning. — Joe Crome, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 In the series, ten years after her father—the infamous serial killer Gabriel Thorn—was caught, 17-year-old Ryan Shipley is back in her childhood hometown of Starling, Tennessee, trying to lay low. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
In the early 1960s, he was cast in the single-season CBS daytime soap Our Five Daughters — which debuted a year after the sitcom My Three Sons — beginning a string of roles in serials for Cypher. — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026 While only the first two episodes managed to survive the original live broadcast, the serial still went on to have a huge impact on science fiction. — William Worrall, Space.com, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for serial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serial
  1. serialized
  2. periodical
  3. newspaper
  4. journal
  5. book
  6. magazine
Adjective
  • In terms of what fans should expect, the look went for a very intentional old-school ‘70s anime style that is also more serialized than previous entries in the franchise.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • There’s a proper mystery to solve each episode, and a really intriguing serialized arc as well.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of serialized
Noun
  • Operating for nearly a century, Algani began in 1927 as a modest seller of newspapers, periodicals, and postcards before evolving into one of the city’s first international newsstands.
    — Eleonora Giordani, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
  • People who might be lucky to have a roof over their heads gathered there to read American books and periodicals, watch American movies, listen to lectures about America, tap their toes to jazz from America.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of periodical
Noun
  • Wire services, newspapers, magazine and niche publications also take part.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Drawing on personal archives, home videos, footage of street protests, newspapers and recorded voices, the filmmaker pieces together a portrait of a country shaped by political repression and a continuing hope for revolution.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of newspaper
Noun
  • Coverage of the same census in the ISHRS journal flagged a growing black market in hair restoration as one of the notable trends of 2024.
    — William Jones, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Others believe that tree-ring research, and the scientific journals that publish it, overestimate the number of historical fires.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of journal
Noun
  • This is the room to book if staying a while and traveling with a kid who can comfortably sleep on the large couch on the lower level.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Oct. 2026
  • There are other things about this book that are insightful and poignant about the nature of being a human.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of book
Noun
  • On the fall film-festival circuit, Lee had a dozen-plus publicists and a dedicated English interpreter; the cast appeared on red carpets and magazine covers.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Was New York magazine’s Men’s Style Issue spread featuring male celebrities like Mike Faist, Christopher Abbott, Isaac Cole Powell, and others hanging out in their underwear in a sauna an exercise in queerbaiting?
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of magazine

Browse Nearby Words

sergeants
serial
serialize
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Cite this Entry

“Serial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serial. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on serial

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about serial

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