series
UK /ˈsɪəriːz/ US /ˈsɪriz/ Syllables: se-ries
Quick answer
A number of similar things or events that happen one after another.
A series is a number of similar or related things, events or items that come one after another. A series of storms, a series of lessons, a series of numbers and a television series all fit. The word is the same in the singular and the plural: one series, two series. Only the context and the verb show which is meant, so use a singular verb when you mean the series as one unit, as in the series has ended. Close words are sequence, succession, chain, string, run and set. In television, a series is a set of episodes, and in British English it can mean one season. In sports, a series is a set of games between the same teams.
"The channel is airing a new series about ocean life this month."Meanings
- A number of similar or related things or events that follow one after another.
- A set of episodes of a television or radio program.
- A set of games between the same teams (sports).
Example sentences
-
"There was a series of loud noises."
Level A2, Meaning 1
-
"She watched the whole series in a weekend."
Level A2, Meaning 2
-
"The team won the series four games to two."
Level B1, Meaning 3
-
"The course is a series of short lessons."
Level A2, Meaning 1
-
"A series of storms hit the coast."
Level B1, Meaning 1
Synonyms and antonyms
Synonyms
Look-alikes and common mistakes
- serial : Serial is the adjective, as in a serial number, and a serial is a story told in parts. Both are items in a series.
- sequence : A sequence is things in a set order. A series is any group that follows one after another.
- serious : Serious means important or not joking. It looks a little like series but is unrelated.
- season : In American English, a season is a set of television episodes. In British English, a series can mean the same.
Word family and forms
Forms: series
Word partners
Words and phrases that often go with "series".
- a series of
- a television series
- a series of events
- a series of lessons
- the World Series
- a new series
- a long series
- a series of tests
Origin
Series was borrowed into English in the early 1600s from the Latin word series, which came from the verb serere, meaning to join together or bind. The same Latin root is behind the words insert and sermon.
Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.
Usage notes
"Series" has the same spelling in singular and plural.
How to remember it
Series ends in s but there is no plural to learn. One series, two series: the spelling never changes.
Test yourself
Which word fits the gap? "There was a _____ of loud noises."
Answer: series
In your own words, what does "series" mean?
A number of similar things or events that happen one after another.
Learn next at A2
- service The action of helping or doing work for someone, or a system that prov...
- setting The time and place in which the events of a story happen.
- settlement A place where people establish a community, or an agreement that ends...
- several More than two but not very many.
- shallow Not deep, or, when describing a person, lacking serious thought or gen...
- sheet A large piece of thin material, such as paper or cloth, or a flat piec...
Sources and credits
- Wiktionary, the free dictionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) · used for the origin, meanings, pronunciation · checked Nov 2, 2026
- Dictionary.com · used for the origin, meanings, word family · checked Nov 2, 2026
- Cambridge Dictionary · used for the meanings, pronunciation · checked Nov 2, 2026
Last reviewed November 2, 2026. Report a mistake on this page