Consecutive

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /kənˈsɛkjʊtɪv/

Definitions

1. Following one after another in unbroken sequence without interruption
2. Occurring in a sequence where each element directly follows the previous one without any breaks or interruptions
3. Taking place in a series where each event or item directly comes after the one before it without any gaps or pauses

Etymology: Latin "consequor" meant "to follow closely" or "to pursue," and its past participle "consecutus" gave rise to the adjective that English borrowed through French. The Latin prefix "con-" ("together") joined to "sequor" ("to follow") gives the sense of following in sequence, which is still at the heart of the word today. A relative of "sequence" and "sequel," it shares that same root, so the family of English words built on "sequor" all carry the idea of one thing coming after another. The path into English ran through French "consécutif," which descended from Medieval Latin "consecutivus," a later formation from the same participle. The word therefore arrived in English as a learned borrowing, a term of logic and grammar, rather than through everyday speech. Its meaning stayed close to its origin: things that succeed one another without a break, as in consecutive numbers or consecutive days.

Synonyms: sequential, successive, continuous

Antonyms: discontinuous, nonsequential