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Meaning & use

non-consecutive

adjective·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˌnɒn kənˈsekjətɪv/
US/ˌnɑːn kənˈsekjətɪv/

Meaning

  1. adjectivenot comparable

    Not following one right after another without a break; separated by gaps in a sequence of days, numbers or events.

    Grammar: Usually before a noun: non-consecutive days, but you can say the days were non-consecutive.

    Patterns

    • non-consecutive days
    • on non-consecutive occasions

    The gym lets you freeze your membership for up to thirty non-consecutive days.

    Pick three non-consecutive numbers from the list.

    He was elected mayor for two non-consecutive terms.

Common combinations

non-consecutive days
You must rest on non-consecutive days between hard workouts.
non-consecutive terms
The president served two non-consecutive terms.
non-consecutive seats
We could only find non-consecutive seats, so we sat apart.
non-consecutive weeks
The course runs over six non-consecutive weeks.

Synonyms and how they differ

discontinuous
Discontinuous suggests a break in something that should flow, whereas non-consecutive just says the items are not next to one another.
separate
Separate says the items are apart, but does not stress that they come from a numbered or timed sequence.
intermittent
Intermittent describes something that starts and stops repeatedly, while non-consecutive fits a limited set of chosen items.

Opposites

consecutivesuccessive

Word family

consecutive adjective
following one after another without a break
consecutively adverb
in an unbroken order
consecution noun
a rare word for a logical sequence

Commonly confused: non-consecutive or consecutive? non-consecutive or successive?

non-consecutive vs consecutive

Consecutive means one right after another. Non-consecutive is its opposite, but learners sometimes drop the prefix by mistake.

non-consecutive vs successive

Successive also means following in order, but it often stresses the order of coming after another, not the gap-free timing.

Practice

Which phrase describes non-consecutive days?

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