# serial

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈsɪə.ɹɪ.əl/ · frequency rank #4,892

## Definitions
1. Having to do with or arranged in a series.
2. Who performs a specified action or course of action repeatedly or regularly.
3. Published or produced in installments.
4. Of or relating to a grammatical aspect relating to an action that is habitual and ongoing.

## Etymology
Formed as series + -al, on model of Latin seriālis, from seriēs + -ālis. Cognate to Italian seriale. First use appears c. 1823. See cite below.

## Easily confused with
- **Syria** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serial-vs-syria)
- **serie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serial-vs-serie)
- **serra** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serial-vs-serra)
- **serif** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serial-vs-serif)
- **social** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serial-vs-social)
- **series** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serial-vs-series)
- **sexual** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serial-vs-sexual)
- **Syrian** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serial-vs-syrian)
- **shrill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serial-vs-shrill)
- **Syriac** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serial-vs-syriac)
- **serine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serial-vs-serine)
- **special** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serial-vs-special)
- **seal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seal-vs-serial)
- **Sera** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sera-vs-serial)
- **Seri** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seri-vs-serial)
- **Segal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/segal-vs-serial)
- **sepia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sepia-vs-serial)
- **Serbia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serbia-vs-serial)
- **Serbian** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serbian-vs-serial)
- **seminal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seminal-vs-serial)

## Common misspellings (8)
`esrial`, `seiral`, `serail`, `seriall`, `serila`, `serrial`, `sreial`, `sserial`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/serial