consecutive

adjective

con·​sec·​u·​tive kən-ˈse-kyə-tiv How to pronounce consecutive (audio)
-kə-tiv
: following one after the other in order : successive
served four consecutive terms in office
consecutiveness noun

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Concurrent and Consecutive

Consecutive has a good deal in common with the complementary word concurrent. Besides the fact that both begin with the prefix con- (meaning “with, together”), each word deals with the time-order in which several things happen. Concurrent describes things that are occurring, or people who are doing something, at the same time, such as “concurrent users” of a computer program. Consecutive refers to things that are arranged or happen in a sequential order. A criminal who serves a consecutive sentence does time for one conviction after another. If that person gets a concurrent sentence, he or she undergoes all punishments at the same time.

Examples of consecutive in a Sentence

the team's winning streak has lasted for seven consecutive games
Recent Examples on the Web Cronin has been to 12 consecutive NCAA tournaments — nine with the Bearcats, three with the Bruins — since his 2009-10 team won two games in the Big East tournament before falling to West Virginia and advancing to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 The prime minister is seeking a rare third consecutive term in power. Brad Lendon, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 Richard Nixon won the GOP nomination three times, although not in consecutive cycles. Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024 Mackinac Island is gearing up (and hotel rooms are selling out) for the 100th consecutive Bayview Mackinac Race in July, from Port Huron to the island. Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024 Maryland’s budget problems worsened Thursday with tax receipts failing to hit estimates for the fifth consecutive time since the pandemic ended. Erin Cox, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 The Bay Area has added jobs for five consecutive months, including the hiring gains in January, even as thousands of tech workers at major companies such as Meta and Google have faced layoffs. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 On consecutive days in late August, agents interviewed the duo. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024 The Heat already was playing without Tyler Herro, who missed a fifth game in a row with a hyperextended knee; Love, who missed a third consecutive game with a sore heel; and Josh Richardson, who will miss the remainder of the season because of his shoulder injury. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'consecutive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French consecutif "following one after the other," borrowed from Medieval Latin consecūtīvus "following as a result or effect," from Latin consecūtus, past participle of consequī "to come after, succeed in time, follow as a necessary consequence" + -īvus -ive — more at consequent entry 2

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of consecutive was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near consecutive

Cite this Entry

“Consecutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consecutive. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

consecutive

adjective
con·​sec·​u·​tive kən-ˈsek-(y)ət-iv How to pronounce consecutive (audio)
: following one after the other in order
consecutively adverb
Etymology

from French consécutif "following in a series, consecutive," from Latin consecutus, past participle of consequi "to follow," from con, com- "with, together" and sequi "to follow" — related to sequel

Legal Definition

consecutive

adjective
con·​sec·​u·​tive
: following one after the other in order
consecutively adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on consecutive

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