lexicow

sequence

/ˈsiːkwəns//ˈsiːkwəns/·noun
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Definition

A sequence is a set of things arranged one after another in a definite order, each following the last. From the Latin sequi, 'to follow,' it stresses succession: not just a group, but a group whose order is paramount. A sequence of events, a DNA sequence, a sequence of steps in a proof — change the order and the meaning can collapse. The word implies a thread running through time or space, where each element earns its place by what comes before it and what it makes possible next.

Examples

  • The detective reconstructed the exact sequence of events on the night of the crime.
  • In a coherent argument, each claim follows the last in a logical sequence.
  • Miss one step in the sequence and the whole experiment may yield an anomaly.

Collocations

a sequence of events·in sequence·the correct sequence·a logical sequence·out of sequence

Synonyms

order·succession·series·progression·chain

Antonyms

randomness·disorder

Word family

sequential (adjective)·sequentially (adverb)·sequencing (noun)

In TOEFL & IELTS

Essential for narration and process description — TOEFL integrated tasks and IELTS Task 1 process diagrams both reward 'the sequence of steps'. Signposting words (first, next, subsequently, finally) build a sequence in Writing and Speaking. The adjective sequential ('sequential order') is common in academic English. Keep sequence (ordered succession) distinct from series (a set, order optional).