Sequel, Sequence and Second All Follow On
A sequel is a work that continues an earlier one. The Latin verb behind it means to follow, and it produced a large family of English words.
A sequel is a book or film that continues an earlier story. Latin *sequi*, to follow, is one of the busiest roots in English: sequence, consequence, subsequent, pursue, prosecute, suit, sect and even *second* — the number that follows the first — all come from it. The film sense is barely a century old; the word itself has meant an outcome since the 1400s.
- A continuation. *The sequel was better.*
- A consequence or outcome. *In the sequel, nothing changed.*
- Prequel — a story set earlier, coined from it. *A prequel trilogy.*
- Sequel to — the usual preposition. *A sequel to her first novel.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | sequel | A late sequel. |
| Plural | sequels | Three sequels. |
| Coinage | prequel | A prequel series. |
| Related | sequence | In sequence. |
| Related | subsequent | Subsequent events. |
- The sequel opened to weaker reviews.Film.
- The strike had an unhappy sequel.Older sense: outcome.
- A prequel explains how it began.Coined in the 1950s.
The sequi family
- Sequence — things following one another
- Consequence — what follows from an action
- Pursue — follow after
- Non sequitur — it does not follow
- Second — the one that follows the first
Latin *sequela*, a following, from *sequi*, to follow. English took it in the 1400s for an outcome; the literary and cinematic sense grew in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
What is the difference between a sequel and a prequel?
A sequel continues the story forward in time. A prequel goes back to events before the original.
Is second related to sequel?
Yes. Second comes from Latin secundus, following, from the same verb sequi.