sequel
gb/sˈikwəl/ us/sˈikwəl/
B1
English
~ 10100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
later book, film, etc. continuing
A book, movie, game, or similar work that comes after an earlier one and continues the same story or world.
Usage pattern:
a sequel to [a book/film/game]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "sequel" with "sequence." A "sequel" is a later book, film, or game that continues an earlier one, while a "sequence" is a series of things in order. Learners also sometimes use "sequel" as a verb (e.g. *"They sequeled the movie"*), but in standard English it is only a noun; you can say "They made a sequel" instead.
Synonyms
follow-up (More general; can mean anything that comes after, not only a story in the same fictional world.)
|
continuation (Focuses on the idea of carrying on the same story, sometimes sounds slightly more formal or abstract.)
Antonyms
prequel (A story set earlier in time than the original, the opposite direction in the timeline from a sequel.)
|
original (The first work in a series, before any later parts such as sequels.)
Collocations
movie sequel
|direct sequel
|planned sequel
|hit sequel
|sequel trilogy
|sequel rights
Themes
entertainment
|media
|literature
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The studio announced a sequel to the popular superhero movie.
- Many fans felt that the sequel was better written than the original film.
- The game’s sequel adds new characters and expands the world of the story.
- She is working on a sequel to her best‑selling fantasy novel.
- The sequel picks up five years after the events of the first movie.
Learner examples
- They made a sequel to the big movie from last year.
- I read the book and now I want to read the sequel.
- The sequel shows what happens to the main characters later.
Noun
formal
C1
event
2
later event that follows from something
An event or situation that happens after something else, often as a result of it.
Usage pattern:
a sequel to [an event/situation]
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this formal sense of "sequel" in everyday speech where more common words like "result," "effect," or "aftermath" are natural. In conversation, it is usually better to say "as a result" than "as a sequel."
Synonyms
aftermath (Often suggests negative results following a serious event such as a war, disaster, or scandal.)
|
consequence (Stresses the result that naturally follows from a cause; more general and common than this formal use of "sequel.")
Antonyms
prelude (A thing or event that comes before something more important, in contrast to a sequel which comes after.)
Collocations
an unhappy sequel
|a tragic sequel
|as a sequel to
|the inevitable sequel
|the sequel to these events
|in the sequel
Themes
formal
|cause_and_effect
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The economic crisis was the grim sequel to years of political instability.
- There was an unpleasant sequel to the meeting when several employees resigned.
- His sudden resignation formed the unexpected sequel to weeks of quiet negotiations.
- The scandal and its legal sequel dominated the news for months.
- In the sequel to these events, the company was forced to change its entire business model.
Learner examples
- The accident was a sad sequel to his risky behavior.
- There was a long and difficult sequel to the war.
- Their argument had a bad sequel: they stopped talking to each other.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sequel
IPA
GB/sˈikwəl/
US/sˈikwəl/
Syllables & stress
se - quel (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (se)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sequel
- Plural: sequels
Word family
Forms
sequels
noun
Core family
prequel
noun
Related words
Advanced or less common
subsequent
adjective B2
subsequently
adverb B2
Expressions
in the sequel
1/ˈɪn ðə sˈikwəl/
fixed phrase
literary
in what happens later
In the part that comes later, or in the events that follow what was just described (mainly in written, literary English).
Examples
- In the sequel, the full consequences of their decision become clear.
- As we shall see in the sequel, this small error led to major changes in policy.
sequel to
1/sˈikwəl tə/
fixed phrase
later work connected to original
Used to show which earlier book, movie, game, etc. a sequel continues.
Examples
- The new film is a sequel to the 2019 sci‑fi blockbuster.
- Her latest novel is a direct sequel to the story she published five years ago.