Meaning & use
consecutive
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Coming one right after another with nothing in between.
Grammar: Before a plural noun: three consecutive days.
Patterns
- consecutive days
- consecutive wins
It rained for five consecutive days.
The team won three consecutive games.
She was late on two consecutive Mondays.
adjectivebefore a nounmathematics
In a numbered series, next in order.
Grammar: Used for numbers, as in consecutive numbers.
Patterns
- consecutive numbers
Seven and eight are consecutive numbers.
The pages are consecutive.
Pick any three consecutive integers.
Common combinations
- consecutive days
- He worked ten consecutive days.
- consecutive years
- The club won for two consecutive years.
- consecutive wins
- A run of six consecutive wins.
- consecutive sentences
- The judge gave consecutive sentences.
Synonyms and how they differ
- successive
- Successive is nearly identical but slightly more formal.
- in a row
- In a row is the informal phrase form.
- sequential
- Sequential stresses order rather than lack of gaps.
- continuous
- Continuous means without any break at all.
Opposites
Word family
- consecutively adverb
- one after another
- consecution noun
- a logical sequence
Commonly confused: consecutive or continuous? consecutive or concurrent?
consecutive vs continuous
Continuous describes something that never stops, while consecutive describes separate items in order.
consecutive vs concurrent
Concurrent means happening at the same time.
Practice
Which is a pair of consecutive numbers?
Choose one answer.
Consecutive numbers follow one directly after the other, like 4 and 5.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “consecutive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.