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serial

Etymology and origin of the English word serial

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1823

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈsɪə.ɹɪ.əl/ (UK); /ˈsɪɹ.i.əl/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from series and -al,[2][3][4] perhaps suggested by French sérial, which appeared about the same time.[3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Arranged in a series: 1840 in Barnhart, the OED and Etymonline;[2][6][3] MWU has 1823.[4]

Semantic evolution

Of a story, published in instalments, is from 1841,[2][6] and the word was popularized in reference to Dickens's novels, which first came out in parts in periodicals.[3] The noun, a serial story, is from 1845–46,[3][2] a film shown in episodes by 1914, and later radio and television serials.[3] The serial number is from 1866 for papers and packages, 1935 in Barnhart.[3][2] The serial killer is first attested in 1981, of John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy, though serial had been used of murders since the early 1960s.[3] In computing, serial processing handles one item at a time.[7][8]

Timeline

  • 1840 – forming a series.[2][6]
  • 1841 – published in instalments.[2][6]
  • 1846 – a serial story.[2]
  • 1914 – a film serial.[3]
  • 1981 – serial killer.[3]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Arranged in or forming a series; happening one after another.
  2. Published or broadcast in instalments.
  3. Repeatedly committing the same act: a serial killer.
  4. (computing) Handling data one item at a time.

Noun

  1. A story or play published or broadcast in regular instalments.
  2. A periodical publication.

Word family

  • serially
  • biserial
  • nonserial
  • serialise
  • serialism
  • serialist
  • triserial
  • serialize

Usage notes

Serial should not be confused with cereal, its homophone.[8]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  8. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Serial.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/serial. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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