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seriation

seriation

8.2
Putting things in a certain order by time, size, or other features
  • noun
  • /ˌsɪəriˈeɪʃən/
translation icon : seriación
  • In mathematics classes, students often learn about seriation to understand sequences and the order of numbers.

Examples

  • Ideas that will support formal mathematics later in life, such as order and sequence, seriation, comparisons, classifying, addition, and other more advanced mathematical skills, have their genesis before the age of five.

    Academic text (2010)
  • The old method of seriation is the preferred dating method," Barnes says.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Thurstan Shaw (1978) denied any solid basis for the seriation.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Appreciation of Benin's art has centered on its formal characteristics, pedigree, and seriation.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Seriation became the focus of specialized technical approaches such as spectrographic and lead isotope tests, but results remain inconclusive or contradictory.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Although most casting was in leaded brass (an alloy of copper, lead, and zinc), some works presumed to be early in style seriation were made in bronze (an alloy of predominantly copper and tin).

    Academic text (1997)
  • The archaeologist used seriation to arrange the artifacts by their age, revealing the timeline of historical changes.

  • Effective organization relies on seriation to prioritize tasks based on importance or deadlines.

Synonyms

arrangement
vsseriation
135 2.7

The way things are placed or organized in a place

emphasizes the arranging process rather than only the final layout
organization
vsseriation
  • US
72 2.7

Arranging people or things in a neat, planned order

is narrower, focusing on putting items into a defined order
ordering
vsseriation
18 2.7

Arranging things in a particular sequence so they are easy to find

focuses on arranging by specific characteristics like time or size
sequencing
vsseriation
5 4.1

Putting things like steps or events in a particular order

is broader, including ordering by many characteristics not only logic
rearrangement
vsseriation
4 3.4

A change in the order or position of things

refers to making an original ordered arrangement rather than modifying it
reordering
vsseriation
2 3.2

To put things in a different order

is about creating an order, not necessarily changing a prior one
ordination
vsseriation
  • Formal
1 7.8

An order of parts or ideas that makes them easy to understand

covers arranging by many criteria, not only methodical logic
systematization
vsseriation
  • US
1 7.0

Arranging things in a clear order so they are easier to find

is the general act of arranging without insisting on a strict method
linearization
vsseriation
  • Specialized
8.0

Putting items into a single order like words in a sentence or information in a list

is more general, not limited to making a single linear line
temporal order
vsseriation
5.9

How events follow each other in time

is broader, allowing ordering by time or by other features
temporal arrangement
vsseriation
7.0

The order of events in time

includes time ordering but also other characteristic-based arrangements
structuration
vsseriation
8.8

A way of arranging parts so they form one clear structure

is more specific to creating a sequence rather than broad structuring

Antonyms

438 3.1

A situation with no order where people are confused and cannot act normally

31 3.7

A state in which things or places are not arranged

How Ordered

seriation
8.2
sequencing
5 4.1
ordering
18 2.7
arrangement
135 2.7

Surface Forms

seriation singular
seriation plural

Morphology

seriation = series (transparent) = series + ation

The word is a straightforward noun formation based on the idea of arranging items in a series, so the meaning is recoverable from the base.

Etymology

Seriation comes from the Latin root serere, which means 'to join' or 'to put in a row', and the familiar English word series shares the same root. Think of lining objects up like beads on a string; that's why seriation means arranging things in a particular order by time, size, or other features.