ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sequence

n. · v.
US //ˈsikwəns// UK //sˈiːkwəns// se·quence
  1. 1 order of events (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    the order in which things happen or should happen.

    the particular order in which related events, movements, or things follow each other.

    Example

    The police are trying to find out the exact sequence of events that led to the accident.

    Example

    The historian meticulously reconstructed the sequence of diplomatic failures that preceded the declaration of war, highlighting the role of miscommunication.
  2. 2 mathematical pattern (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Technical Math

    a list of numbers or objects that follow a specific rule or order.

    an ordered list of objects, typically indexed with natural numbers, following a specific mathematical rule.

    Example

    The teacher asked the students to find the next number in the sequence.

    Example

    The Fibonacci sequence is a famous example of a numerical pattern where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones.
Show 4 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 film or video (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Theatre

    a part of a movie that shows one particular event or scene.

    a series of shots that depict a single action or style in a film or television production.

    Example

    The opening sequence of the movie was filmed in the mountains.

    Example

    The director spent three weeks editing the dream sequence to ensure the transitions felt fluid and surreal for the audience.
  2. 4 musical repetition (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Music

    a short piece of music that is repeated at a higher or lower pitch.

    a series of musical phrases where a theme is repeated at different pitch levels.

    Example

    The composer used a rising sequence to make the music feel more exciting.

    Example

    The baroque concerto features a complex harmonic sequence that builds tension before resolving into the final major chord.
  3. 5 to arrange in order (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    to put things into a specific order.

    to arrange elements or data into a particular order or succession.

    Example

    The software allows you to sequence your photos by the date they were taken.

    Example

    The algorithm is designed to sequence the incoming data packets to ensure they are processed in the correct chronological order.
  4. 6 biological mapping (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    to find the order of chemicals in a piece of DNA.

    to determine the order of monomers in a biological polymer, such as bases in a nucleic acid.

    Example

    Scientists have finally finished sequencing the entire human genome.

    Example

    By sequencing the viral DNA, researchers were able to identify the specific mutation responsible for the increased transmission rate.
Origin

From Middle English sequence, from Old French sequence (“a sequence of cards, answering verses”), from Late Latin sequentia (“a following”), from Latin sequēns (“following”), from sequī (“to follow”); see sequent.

Word family

© 2026 English Reference