anything published, broadcast, etc., in short installments at regular intervals, as a novel appearing in successive issues of a magazine.
a publication in any medium issued in successive parts bearing numerical or chronological designation and intended to be continued indefinitely.
—adj.
published in installments or successive parts: a serial story.
pertaining to such publication.
of, pertaining to, consisting of, or occurring in a series rather than simultaneously: Some societies condemn both polygamy and serial marriages.
effecting or producing a series; sequential: The police think a serial killer is responsible for five homicides in this city last month.
of or pertaining to the apparent or actual performance of data-processing operations one at a time (distinguished from parallel).
of or pertaining to the transmission or processing of each part of a whole in sequence, as each bit of a byte or each byte of a computer word (distinguished from parallel).
of, pertaining to, or composed in serial technique.