consecutive

consecutive — adjective

1. happening with no break between items in a series — so that each item comes imme

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

happening with no break between items in a series — so that each item comes immediately after the previous one, like three rainy days in a row or five wins with no losses.

Example

The downtown store reported record profits for six consecutive months last year.

for + number + consecutive + time period noun

Maeve has won the national poetry competition for three consecutive years, an impressive streak.

Common collocations
  • consecutive days
  • consecutive years
  • consecutive months
  • consecutive weeks
  • consecutive wins
  • consecutive losses
  • consecutive games
  • consecutive terms
  • consecutive nights
  • consecutive hours
Synonyms
  • successive

    very similar in meaning, but successive can be used more loosely for things that merely follow each other, while consecutive strongly emphasises no gaps

  • back-to-back

    informal synonym, especially common for wins, victories, or events happening right after each other

  • in a row

    informal phrase used after a number and a noun: 'five wins in a row' has the same meaning as 'five consecutive wins'

Antonyms
  • intermittent

    describes something that stops and starts again rather than continuing without a break

  • alternating

    describes a pattern where things take turns rather than appearing in a block

Grammar Patterns

number + consecutive + plural noun

for + number + consecutive + time period

Usage Note

Consecutive is always used before a plural noun (e.g. three consecutive days, NOT three consecutive day). The most common pattern is 'for + number + consecutive + time noun'. While similar to 'successive', consecutive carries a stronger implication of an unbroken chain with no gaps — four consecutive meetings means meetings every day or week with nothing skipped.

Common Mistakes

It rained for three consecutive day.
It rained for three consecutive days.
Consecutive must be followed by a plural noun.
He worked for consecutive three days.
He worked for three consecutive days.
The number comes before consecutive, not after it.
They won five consecutive match.
They won five consecutive matches.
The noun after consecutive must be plural even when counting a single series.

Word family

  • consecutively
    adverbB2
  • consecutiveness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Consecutive, successive, back-to-back, and in a row all describe things that follow one another, but they differ in formality and precision. Consecutive (B2, common, formal-neutral) stresses an unbroken chain: 'five consecutive days' means every single day with no gaps. Successive (B2, common, formal-neutral) is the closest synonym but can be slightly looser — 'successive governments' may refer to governments that follow each other in time even if separated by brief caretaker periods. Back-to-back (B2, less common, informal) adds a sense of immediacy: 'back-to-back meetings' suggests one ends and the next begins immediately. In a row (B1, common, informal) is the everyday spoken equivalent: 'five wins in a row' is the natural way to say it in conversation. Choose consecutive for academic or professional writing where precision about uninterrupted sequence matters; use in a row or back-to-back for casual contexts.

consecutive ↗successive ↗back-to-backin a row ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • days
  • years
  • months
  • weeks
  • games
  • wins
  • losses
  • terms
  • hours
  • nights
  • seasons
  • quarters

Phrases

  • for [number] consecutive [noun]
  • [number] consecutive [noun]

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Consecutive comes from the Latin word consecutus, meaning 'having followed closely', which is formed from com- ('together') and sequi ('to follow'). The idea of following closely together evolved into the modern meaning of events or items that follow one another without a break. The word entered English in the early 1600s through French and Latin scholarly writing.