Consecutive: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes

Meaning 1：in a row (consecutive)

consecutive 🔊

/kənˈsek.jə.tɪv/

adj.

Following one after another without any break or gap.

Illustration of consecutive days on a calendar showing Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in an unbroken sequence

in a row 🔊

➕

/ɪn ə ˈroʊ/

adj.

Events or items that follow each other immediately, without interruption.

📁 Category：Time & Dates 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'con-' (together) + 'sequi' (to follow).

💡 Mnemonic

Con-sec-utive: Con-sectetur – think of a 'sect' (group) following (sec) each other continuously.

📖 Example

She practiced piano for consecutive hours every day to improve her skills. 🔊 She practiced piano for several hours in a row every day to improve her skills.

🔗 Collocations

consecutive days – Days that follow one after another without interruption.

consecutive victories – A series of wins achieved one after another.

consecutive numbers – Numbers that follow each other in order (e.g., 1,2,3).

🔄 Synonyms

successive (adj.) – Following one another in an unbroken sequence.

sequential (adj.) – Forming or following in a logical order or sequence.

uninterrupted (adj.) – Continuing without a break or pause.

🚫 Antonyms

intermittent (adj.) – Occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous.

sporadic (adj.) – Occurring occasionally, singly, or in scattered instances.

🌱 Derivatives

consecutively (adv.) – In a consecutive manner; one after another.

consecutiveness (n.) – The state or quality of being consecutive.

📖 Cultural Story

The term originates from Latin 'consecutivus', meaning 'following closely'. It entered English in the early 17th century. A core concept in logic (consecutive reasoning) and statistics (consecutive data points), its high-frequency modern use is in sports, where achieving 'consecutive wins' or scoring in 'consecutive games' is a major statistical benchmark.