Origin: Latin suffix -al
Serial has 9 different meanings across 2 categories:
a periodical that appears at scheduled times
"The local news team launched a new serial magazine that publishes an issue every Tuesday morning."
A work, such as a work of fiction, published in installments, often numbered and without a specified end.
"The detective found themselves hooked on the serial novel that dropped new chapters every Friday morning."
In plain English: A serial is a story that is published in separate parts over time, like chapters released weekly.
"The police are investigating a serial killer who has struck in three different cities."
to assign a serial number to (especially of aircraft)
"The mechanic spent the morning serialing each new delivery aircraft before they were cleared for flight."
In plain English: To do something over and over again in a series of separate events.
"The serial killer was finally caught after years of evading police."
in regular succession without gaps
"serial concerts"
pertaining to or occurring in or producing a series
"serial monogamy"
"serial killing"
"a serial killer"
"serial publication"
of or relating to the sequential performance of multiple operations
"serial processing"
Having to do with or arranged in a series.
"The museum displayed a serial exhibition of photographs taken over the last century."
In plain English: Serial means something that happens one after another in a series, like episodes of a show.
"The detective found that the crimes were part of a serial pattern targeting local parks."
Usage: Use serial when describing events, crimes, or publications that occur one after another as part of an ongoing sequence, such as serial murders or a weekly magazine. Do not confuse it with the noun form meaning "a long-running story," which is often used interchangeably in casual conversation but refers to different parts of speech.
The word serial was formed by adding the suffix -al to series, following a pattern similar to the Latin seriālis. It first appeared in English around 1823 with its current meaning of relating to a sequence or order.