Meaning & use
sequel
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Meanings
nouncountable
A book, film or show that carries on the story of an earlier one.
Grammar: Often followed by to: the sequel to the film.
Patterns
- a sequel to something
- the sequel of something
The sequel to the novel came out last spring.
She has not seen the original film, so the sequel confused her.
A sequel to the game is planned for next year.
nouncountableformal
Something that happens afterwards as a consequence or continuation of an earlier event.
Grammar: Formal or literary use: the sequel to the argument.
Patterns
- a sequel to something
The quarrel had a bitter sequel the following week.
The strike was the sequel to months of unrest.
Word forms
| plural | sequels |
|---|
Common combinations
- sequel to
- This is the sequel to her first novel.
- long-awaited sequel
- Fans queued for the long-awaited sequel.
- make a sequel
- The studio decided to make a sequel.
- disappointing sequel
- The sequel was a disappointing follow-up.
- direct sequel
- It is a direct sequel set one year later.
Synonyms and how they differ
- follow-up
- Follow-up is broader and can mean any later action or report, while sequel names a story continuing an earlier one.
- continuation
- Continuation can be part of the same work, whereas a sequel is a separate work.
- second part
- Second part suggests two halves of one whole, but a sequel can stand alone.
- spin-off
- A spin-off follows secondary characters or a side idea, but a sequel continues the main story.
Opposites
Word family
- sequence noun
- a set of things coming one after another
- subsequent adjective
- coming after
- consequence noun
- a result of an action
- prequel noun
- a work telling an earlier story
Commonly confused: sequel or prequel?
sequel vs prequel
A prequel tells a story set before the original, while a sequel continues after it.
Practice
The studio announced a ___ to the hit movie, set five years after the original.
Choose one answer.
A sequel continues the story after the original. A prequel would be set before it, which the five years after clue rules out.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sequel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.