sequence

See also séquence

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Middle English sequence, from Old French sequence (“a sequence of cards, answering verses”), from Late Latin sequentia (“a following”), from Latin sequens (“following”), from sequi (“to follow”); see sequent.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsikwəns/, /ˈsikwɛns/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

sequence (plural sequences)

1. A set of things next to each other in a set order; a series
2. A series of musical phrases where a theme or melody is repeated, with some change each time, such as in pitch or length (example: opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony).
3. A musical composition used in some Catholic Masses between the readings. The most famous sequence is the Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) formerly used in funeral services.
4. (mathematics) An ordered list of objects.
5. (now rare) A subsequent event; a consequence or result.
   • 1891, Mary Noailles Murfree, In the "Stranger People's" Country, Nebraska 2005, pp. 12-13:

     he found no words to convey the impressions he had received; then he gave way to the anger always the sequence of the antagonism of opinion between them.

Usage notes

• (mathematics): Beginning students often confuse sequence with series.

Related terms

• et seq
• nolle prosequi
• non sequitur
• persecute
• prosecute
• sequela
• sequenceless
• sequent
• sequential
• sequencer
• sequinator

Translations

set of things in a set order

Catalan: seqüència (ca) f. Czech: řada (cs) f., sled (cs) m., sekvence (cs) f. Danish: rækkefølge (da) c., sekvens (da) c. Finnish: sarja (fi), sekvenssi (fi) French: séquence (fr) f. German: Reihenfolge (de) f. Hungarian: sorozat (hu), szekvencia (hu), sor (hu) Irish: seicheamh (ga) m.

Italian: sequenza (it) f. Portuguese: sequência (pt) f. Romanian: secvență (ro) f. Russian: последовательность (ru) (poslédivatel'nost') f., ряд (ru) (rjad) m. Scottish Gaelic: leanmhainn (gd) m. Serbian: niz (sr), redosled (sr) Slovene: zaporedje (sl) n., sekvenca (sl) f., niz (sl) m. Spanish: secuencia (es) f.

series of musical phrases where a theme or melody is repeated

Danish: tonerække (da) c. Finnish: sekvenssi (fi) French: séquence (fr) f. German: Sequenz (de) f.

Hungarian: szekvencia (hu) Irish: seicheamh (ga) m. Russian: секвенция (ru) (sekvéncija) f.

poetic, music composition used in some Catholic Masses between the readings

Danish: sekvens (da) c. Finnish: sekvenssi (fi) French: séquence (fr) f.

Hungarian: szekvencia (hu) Russian: секвенция (ru) (sekvéncija) f.

in mathematics, an ordered list of objects

Catalan: seqüència (ca) f. Czech: posloupnost (cs) f. Danish: følge (da) c. Finnish: sarja (fi) French: suite (fr) f., séquence (fr) f. German: Folge (de) f.

Greek: ακολουθία (el) f. Hungarian: sorozat (hu) Irish: seicheamh (ga) m. Italian: successione (it) f. Polish: ciąg (pl) m. Russian: последовательность (ru) (poslédivatel'nost') f.

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Mandarin: 序列 (xù liè) French: suite f., ordre m. Latin: sequentia, -ae f. Slovak: postupnosť f.

Verb

sequence (third-person singular simple present sequences, present participle sequencing, simple past and past participle sequenced)

1. (transitive) to arrange in an order
2. (transitive) to determine the order of things, especially of amino acids in a protein, or of bases in a nucleic acid
3. (transitive) to produce (music) with a sequencer

External links

• sequence in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• sequence in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911