# consecutive

/kənˈsɛkjətɪv/ (US) · /kənsˈɛkjuːtˌɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/consecutive
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 2. consecutive interpretation

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a type of translation where the speaker talks first and then the interpreter translates what was said.

For teachers: a mode of oral translation in which the interpreter begins speaking only after the original speaker has finished a segment of discourse.

- The witness gave his statement in short parts so the consecutive interpreter could translate accurately.
- During the legal proceedings, the court relied on consecutive interpretation to ensure that every nuance of the testimony was captured for the record.

Teaching tip: In professional settings, this is often shortened to just 'consecutive' when contrasting it with 'simultaneous'.

### 3. repeated musical intervals

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a series of musical notes or chords that move up or down by the same amount each time.

For teachers: a sequence of notes or chords resulting from repeated shifts in pitch of the same interval.

- The composer used a series of consecutives to create a sense of rising tension.
- The theory professor warned the students against using consecutive fifths, as they were traditionally forbidden in classical part-writing.

### 4. linguistic sequence

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a word or grammar form that shows one action happens right after another.

For teachers: a linguistic form or construction that implies or describes an event following temporally from a preceding one.

- In some languages, a specific verb form acts as a consecutive to show the next step in a story.
- The researcher analysed the use of the consecutive in ancient Semitic texts to understand how narrative flow was established without modern punctuation.

## Examples

- The team won five consecutive games this month.
- After three consecutive days of heavy rain, the local river finally began to overflow its banks.
- The witness provided testimony regarding the defendant's whereabouts on four consecutive nights, establishing a pattern of behavior that the prosecution used to build its case.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.