What does consecution mean?
Consecution is a formal noun denoting a sequence or series of things that follow one another in an ordered progression, whether of events, ideas, or arguments. It is most at home in philosophy and logic, where it describes the connection by which a conclusion follows from its premises, but it can be applied more broadly to any orderly chain, as in the consecution of historical causes leading to an outcome. Derived from the Latin verb consequi, meaning 'to follow', it is a cousin of more familiar words such as sequence, consequence, and consecutive. Consecution is uncommon in everyday speech and belongs to elevated or scholarly registers; in most modern writing, words like sequence or succession serve the same purpose more naturally. Its value lies in precision: when a writer wishes to emphasise not merely that things happen in order, but that each step flows logically from the last, consecution names exactly that relationship.
A series or succession of things following one another in order; a logical progression.
"The novel's chapters follow a careful consecution from childhood memory to final reckoning."
Rare outside formal, philosophical, or literary contexts; 'sequence' is the ordinary modern equivalent.
In logic: the relation between antecedent and consequent in an inference, or the inference itself.
"A flaw in the consecution undermined the entire argument."
Chiefly found in older or technical works on logic.
Standard plural; rarely needed since consecution usually appears as an uncountable or singular mass noun referring to a process or relation.
"Different logicians have treated such consecutions in markedly different ways."
Consecution shares its Latin root with 'sequence' and 'sequel' — it literally means 'the following along', making it the formal name for any chain of cause and effect.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of consecution
Consecution derives from the Latin consecutio, meaning 'a following after', formed from the verb consequi ('to follow closely'), which combines con- ('together') with sequi ('to follow'). It entered English in the late 16th or early 17th century, initially carrying the general sense of succession or sequence before developing specialised use in logic for the relation between antecedent and consequent. The same Latin root sequi gave English a wide family of cognates, including sequence, consequence, consecutive, and sequel.
How consecution is actually used
Consecution is a rare, formal word found mainly in philosophy, logic, literary criticism, and academic prose. It carries a neutral to elevated register and should not be used in casual contexts where 'sequence' would be more natural.
Easily confused with consecution
Consecration means the act of making something sacred, while consecution means a sequence or chain of things following one another.
A consequence is a result that follows from something, whereas consecution refers to the ordered sequence itself rather than the outcome.