Standard Lemma guide

series

noun · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsɪə.ɹiːz/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsɪː.ɹiːz/
  • London: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈsɪɹ.iz/
  • General-American: /ˈsiɹ.iz/
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Connecticut Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada: /ˈsɪɹ.iz/
  • Australian: /ˈsɪə.ɹiːz/
  • Queensland Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • obsolete: /ˈsɪəɹi.ɪz/
  • obsolete: /ˈsɪəɹi.iːz/
  • homophone: Siri's
  • homophone: Siris
  • homophone: Ceres
  • rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)iːz
  • CMU ARPABET: S IH1 R IY0 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A number of things that follow on one after the other or are connected one after the other.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • A series of seemingly inconsequential events led cumulatively to the fall of the company.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: chain, line, sequence, stream, succession, array, procession, consecution, series, string, train

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A television or radio program consisting of several episodes that are broadcast at regular intervals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: broadcasting, media

Examples

  • Friends was one of the most successful television series in recent years.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: show, program

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Synonym of season (“one of the groups of episodes that together make up a whole series”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

Topics: broadcasting, media

Examples

  • I enjoyed the third series of Friends.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: season

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The sequence of partial sums ∑i=1na_i of a given sequence ai.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • The harmonic series has been much studied.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A group of matches between two sides, with the aim being to win more matches than the opposition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, baseball, cricket, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

Examples

  • The Blue Jays are playing the Yankees in a four-game series.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The optional taxonomic rank above order/subseries, but below superorder.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, ichthyology, natural-sciences, taxonomy, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

The optional taxonomic rank above group, but below epifamily.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, lepidopterology, natural-sciences, taxonomy, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A subdivision of a genus, a taxonomic rank below that of section (and subsection) but above that of species.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences, taxonomy

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A parcel of rough diamonds of assorted qualities.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, commerce

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

A set of consonants that share a particular phonetic or phonological feature.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, phonology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

A period, stretch of time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

(mathematics) the sum of a finite or infinite sequence of expressions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: polynomial, multinomial

Narrower terms: power series, convergence, convergency, divergence, divergency, geometric series, Fourier series, exponential series

13

noun

Meaning 13

a periodical that appears at scheduled times

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: serial, serial publication

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: periodical

Narrower terms: semiweekly, weekly, semimonthly, monthly, quarterly, bimonthly, biweekly

14

noun

Meaning 14

a serialized set of programs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a comedy series
  • the Masterworks concert series

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: serial

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: broadcast, program, programme

Narrower terms: soap opera, tetralogy

15

noun

Meaning 15

(sports) several contests played successively by the same teams

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the visiting team swept the series

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: contest, competition

Narrower terms: home stand, World Series

16

noun

Meaning 16

similar things placed in order or happening one after another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they were investigating a series of bank robberies

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ordering, order, ordination

Narrower terms: Stations, Stations of the Cross, chain, concatenation, cordon, course, line, cycle, electromotive series, electromotive force series, electrochemical series, hierarchy, nexus, progression, patterned advance, rash, blizzard, sequence, string, train, succession, wave train, helium group, actinide series, lanthanide series

17

noun

Meaning 17

a group of postage stamps having a common theme or a group of coins or currency selected as a group for study or collection

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the Post Office issued a series commemorating famous American entertainers
  • his coin collection included the complete series of Indian-head pennies

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: group, grouping

18

noun

Meaning 18

(electronics) connection of components in such a manner that current flows first through one and then through the other

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the voltage divider consisted of a series of fixed resistors

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: connection, connexion, connectedness

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ser-der. Proto-Italic *serō Latin serō Proto-Italic *-jēs Latin -iēs Latin seriēsbor. English series Attested from the 1610s; borrowed from Latin seriēs, from serere (“to join together, bind”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind, put together, to line up”). Related to desert, insert, sermon, and sorcerer.

Across languages

Translations

224 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: سِلْسِلَة (silsila) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Arabic: مَجْمُوعَة (majmūʕa) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Arabic: سلسلة (silsila) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Arabic: مجموعة (majmūʕa) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Armenian: սերիա (seria) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Armenian: շարք (šarkʻ) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Azerbaijani: seriya — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Belarusian: се́рыя (sjéryja) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Belarusian: сэ́рыя (séryja) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Belarusian: рад (rad) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Bulgarian: се́рия (sérija) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Bulgarian: поредица (poredica) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Catalan: sèrie — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Chinese Mandarin: 系列 (xìliè) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Czech: série — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Danish: serie — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Danish: rækkefølge — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Danish: Danish: række — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Dutch: serie — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Esperanto: serio — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Estonian: sari — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Finnish: sarja — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • French: suite — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • French: série — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Galician: serie — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Georgian: სერია (seria) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • German: Serie — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Greek: σειρά (seirá) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Greek: αλληλουχία (allilouchía) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Hebrew: סִדְרָה (sidrá) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Hindi: शृंखला (śŕṅkhlā) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Hungarian: sorozat — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Icelandic: röð — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Indonesian: seri — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Ingrian: rääty — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Italian: serie — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Japanese: 系列 (keiretsu) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Japanese: シリーズ (shirīzu) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Kazakh: топтама (toptama) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Khmer: មាលា (miəliə) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Korean: 계열 (gyeyeol) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Korean: 계렬 (gyeryeol) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Lao: ອະນຸກົມ (ʼa nu kom) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Latin: seriēs — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Latvian: sērija — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Lithuanian: serija — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Macedonian: серија (serija) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Malay: siri — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Māori: raupapa — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Māori: raupapatanga — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Māori: rangatū — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Norwegian Bokmål: serie — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Persian: سری (seri) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Persian: سلسله (selsele) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Polish: seria — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Polish: cykl — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Portuguese: série — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Portuguese: sequência — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Romanian: serie — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Romanian: șir — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Russian: се́рия (sérija) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Russian: после́довательность (poslédovatelʹnostʹ) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Russian: ряд (rjad) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Sanskrit: क्रम — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Serbo-Croatian: се̑рија — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Serbo-Croatian: sȇrija — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Sicilian: sèria — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Slovak: séria — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Slovene: serija — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Spanish: serie — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Spanish: retahíla — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Swahili: msururu — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Swedish: serie — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Swedish: svit — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Tagalog: dalayray — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Tajik: силсила (silsila) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Thai: อนุกรม (à-nú-grom) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Thai: ชุด (chút) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Thai: ลําดับ (lam-dàp) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Turkish: seri — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Turkish: silsile — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Ottoman Turkish: سلسله (silsile) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Ukrainian: се́рія (sérija) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Ukrainian: ряд (rjad) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Uzbek: seriya — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Uzbek: silsila — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Vietnamese: loạt — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Volapük: sökod — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Yiddish: סעריע (serye) — a number of things that follow on one after the other
  • Arabic: مُسَلْسَلَات تِلِفِزْيُونِيَّة (musalsalāt tilifizyūniyya) — television or radio program
  • Arabic: مُسَلْسِلَات (musalsilāt) — television or radio program
  • Arabic: مُسَلْسَل (musalsal) — television or radio program
  • Armenian: սերիալ (serial) — television or radio program
  • Armenian: հեռուստաշոու (heṙustašou) — television or radio program
  • Asturian: serie — television or radio program
  • Azerbaijani: serial — television or radio program
  • Belarusian: тэлесерыя́л (teljesjeryjál) — television or radio program
  • Belarusian: серыя́л (sjeryjál) — television or radio program
  • Bulgarian: сериа́л (seriál) — television or radio program
  • Catalan: sèrie — television or radio program
  • Chinese Mandarin: 電視連續劇 /电视连续剧 (diànshì liánxùjù) — television or radio program
  • Chinese Mandarin: 電視劇 /电视剧 (diànshìjù) — television or radio program
  • Chinese Mandarin: 連續劇 /连续剧 (liánxùjù) — television or radio program
  • Crimean Tatar: serial — television or radio program
  • Czech: seriál — television or radio program
  • Danish: tv-serie — television or radio program
  • Dutch: reeks — television or radio program
  • Dutch: serie — television or radio program
  • Faroese: sendirøð — television or radio program
  • Finnish: sarja — television or radio program
  • French: série — television or radio program
  • Galician: serie — television or radio program
  • Georgian: სერიალი (seriali) — television or radio program
  • Georgian: ტელესერიალი (ṭeleseriali) — television or radio program
  • German: Serie — television or radio program
  • German: Fernsehserie — television or radio program
  • Greek: σειρά (seirá) — television or radio program
  • Hebrew: סִדְרָה (sidrá) — television or radio program
  • Hindi: धारावाहिक (dhārāvāhik) — television or radio program
  • Hindi: टी वी शृंखला (ṭī vī śŕṅkhlā) — television or radio program
  • Hindi: शृंखला (śŕṅkhlā) — television or radio program
  • Hindi: सीरियल (sīriyal) — television or radio program
  • Hindi: सीरीज़ (sīrīz) — television or radio program
  • Hindi: शो (śo) — television or radio program
  • Hungarian: sorozat — television or radio program
  • Icelandic: þáttaröð — television or radio program
  • Icelandic: þættir — television or radio program
  • Indonesian: cerbung — television or radio program
  • Indonesian: serial — television or radio program
  • Italian: serie — television or radio program
  • Japanese: テレビシリーズ (terebi shirīzu) — television or radio program
  • Japanese: シリーズ (shirīzu) — television or radio program
  • Japanese: テレビドラマ (terebi dorama) — television or radio program
  • Kazakh: телехикая (telexikaä) — television or radio program
  • Kazakh: сериал (serial) — television or radio program
  • Kazakh: хикая (xikaä) — television or radio program
  • Korean: 티비 시리즈 (tibi sirijeu) — television or radio program
  • Korean: 시리즈 (sirijeu) — television or radio program
  • Korean: 연속극 (yeonsokgeuk) — television or radio program
  • Korean: 련속극 (ryeonsokgeuk) — television or radio program
  • Kyrgyz: сериал (serial) — television or radio program
  • Malay: siri — television or radio program
  • Maltese: sensiela — television or radio program
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fjernsynsserie — television or radio program
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: fjernsynsserie — television or radio program
  • Persian: مجموعه تلویزیونی (majmu'e-ye televizioni) — television or radio program
  • Persian: مجموعه (majmu'e) — television or radio program
  • Persian: سریال (seriâl) — television or radio program
  • Polish: serial — television or radio program
  • Portuguese: série — television or radio program
  • Portuguese: seriado — television or radio program
  • Romanian: serie — television or radio program
  • Romanian: serial — television or radio program
  • Russian: телесериа́л (teleseriál) — television or radio program
  • Russian: сериа́л (seriál) — television or radio program
  • Russian: се́рия (sérija) — television or radio program
  • Russian: шо́у (šóu) — television or radio program
  • Russian: телешо́у (telešóu) — television or radio program
  • Serbo-Croatian: се̑рија — television or radio program
  • Serbo-Croatian: ни̏за̄нка — television or radio program
  • Serbo-Croatian: sȇrija — television or radio program
  • Serbo-Croatian: nȉzānka — television or radio program
  • Sicilian: sèria — television or radio program
  • Slovak: seriál — television or radio program
  • Spanish: serie — television or radio program
  • Spanish: serie de televisión — television or radio program
  • Spanish: teleserie — television or radio program
  • Spanish: serial televisivo — television or radio program
  • Spanish: serial televisual — television or radio program
  • Spanish: serie radiofónica — television or radio program
  • Swedish: serie — television or radio program
  • Swedish: följetong — television or radio program
  • Tagalog: dugtungan — television or radio program
  • Tajik: сериал (serial) — television or radio program
  • Thai: ซีรีส์ (sii-rîi) — television or radio program
  • Thai: รายการชุด — television or radio program
  • Turkish: dizi — television or radio program
  • Ukrainian: телесеріа́л (teleseriál) — television or radio program
  • Ukrainian: серіа́л (seriál) — television or radio program
  • Uzbek: serial — television or radio program
  • Vietnamese: xê-ri — television or radio program
  • Vietnamese: loạt — television or radio program
  • Volapük: sökod — television or radio program
  • Volapük: televidasökod — television or radio program
  • Volapük: radionasökod — television or radio program
  • Volapük: näijenot — television or radio program
  • Arabic: مُتَسَلْسِلَة (mutasalsila) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Arabic: سِلْسِلَة (silsila) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Asturian: serie — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Bulgarian: ред (red) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Catalan: sèrie — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Chinese Mandarin: 級數 /级数 (jíshù) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Czech: řada — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Danish: række — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Dutch: reeks — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Finnish: sarja — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • French: série — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Galician: serie — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • German: Reihe — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Greek: σύνολο (sýnolo) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Hebrew: טוּר (tur) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Hindi: सिलसिला (silsilā) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Hindi: सीरियल (sīriyal) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Hungarian: sor — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Italian: serie — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Japanese: 級数 (kyūsū) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Kazakh: қатар (qatar) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Malay: siri — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Norwegian: rekke — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Persian: سری (seri) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Polish: szereg — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Portuguese: série — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Romanian: serie — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Russian: ряд (rjad) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Serbo-Croatian: ре̑д — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Serbo-Croatian: rȇd — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Sicilian: sèria — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Spanish: serie — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Swedish: serie — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Swedish: oändlig summa — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Swedish: summa — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Tagalog: dalayray — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Ukrainian: ряд (rjad) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
  • Urdu: سلسلہ (silsila) — in analysis: sum of the terms of a sequence
Real reading context

series in complete knowledge articles