What does consecutively mean?
"Consecutively" is an adverb meaning in immediate, unbroken succession — one after another with no gaps or interruptions. It derives from the Latin consecutus, past participle of consequi, "to follow closely," combining con- (together) with sequi (to follow), the same root behind words like consequence and sequel. The word is especially at home in contexts involving counts and records: a team might win five matches consecutively, a patient might take a medication for ten days consecutively, or a novelist might publish books consecutively over several years. Its force lies in continuity — unlike merely sequential events, consecutive ones form an unbroken chain. The word carries a neutral tone and appears frequently in statistics, sports journalism, medicine, and law. Writers should note that adjectival constructions such as "five consecutive days" are often more idiomatic than the adverbial form, though both are fully standard and widely understood.
adverbIn a way that follows one after another in unbroken, successive order; without interruption or gaps.
- Following one after another in immediate, unbroken succession; without any gap or intervening element.
"The company reported record profits for the fifth quarter consecutively."
"She was late to work three days consecutively before her manager scheduled a meeting."
"The numbers must appear consecutively on the ticket for it to be valid."
From Latin roots meaning literally 'to walk together along' — when things happen consecutively, they march in step with nothing allowed to break the line.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of consecutively
Consecutively traces back to Latin consequi, "to follow closely or accompany," from com- (together) plus sequi (to follow). English adopted the adjective consecutive in the early 17th century, and the adverb consecutively developed from it shortly thereafter, retaining the sense of things following one another in tight order. It shares its Latin root sequi with cognates such as consequence, sequel, sequence, and subsequent, all of which preserve the core idea of following.
Related word forms
How consecutively is actually used
Neutral register, common in both formal writing (statistics, sports reporting, legal contexts) and everyday speech. It typically modifies verbs describing repeated events and is often used with numbers ('five times consecutively'), though 'for five consecutive days' is often preferred over 'five days consecutively' in careful prose.
Easily confused with consecutively
Both mean 'one after another,' but 'consecutively' emphasizes an unbroken sequence with no gaps or interruptions, while 'successively' can allow for intervals between events.