Meanings
- One after the other; one at a time; in succession; successively.
The teacher answered the students each in turn.
2 more examples
Each member of the group, in turn, rose to share a personal story, until nearly everyone in the room had spoken.
Eventually, each of the countries in turn would be brought to submission by the invading force.
Synonyms: in order, step by step
- In response; in return.
The musical ambassadors finished their performance, and the local musicians in turn played for them a traditional ballad.
3 more examples
With great humility, I call upon all Americans to help me keep our nation united in defense of those ideals which have been so eloquently proclaimed by Franklin Roosevelt. I want in turn to assure my fellow Americans and all of those who love peace and liberty throughout the world that I will support and defend those ideals with all my strength and all my heart.
1945 April 16, Harry S. Truman, 9:21 from the start, in MP72-20 President Roosevelt’s Funeral and Procession; Truman – New President of U.S., Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives Identifier: 595162As was the case with the "Merchant Navy" locomotives, some of these features have proved troublesome, and this in turn at times has reflected on performance as well as on maintenance.
1957 October 28, “Modification of "West Country" Class Pacific”, in Railway Magazine, page 727The initiated member gave a gift of a coin for the goddess, for which he received in turn a phallus and some salt.
1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 85 - Having a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned; accordingly or similarly, with respect to sequence, precedence, or hierarchy.
My car was hit by a truck, which in turn was hit by the van.
2 more examples
The vassals were subject to their lords, who in turn were subject to barons or kings.
Mr. X leaked the secret to Mr. Y who in turn leaked it to Mr. Z.
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseOne after the other; one at a time; in succession; successively.
More synonyms by meaning
adverbin proper order or sequence
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Arabic بدوره
- بدورهhaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
Chinese Mandarin 輪流 /轮流, 依次
- 輪流 /轮流 (lúnliú)one after the other; successively
- 依次 (yīcì)one after the other; successively
- 按次序地 (àn cìxù de)one after the other; successively
- 作為交換 /作为交换 (zuòwéi jiāohuàn)in response, in return
Dutch om de beurt, in een beurtrol
- om de beurtone after the other; successively
- in een beurtrolone after the other; successively
Esperanto laŭvice, laŭvice
- laŭviceone after the other; successively
- laŭvicein due order, as a queue
- siavicehaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
Finnish vuorotellen, vuorotellen
- vuorotellenone after the other; successively
- vuorotellenin due order, as a queue
- vuorossain due order, as a queue
- vuorostaanin response, in return
- vuorostaanhaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
- puolestaanhaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
French tour à tour, à tour de rôle
- tour à tourone after the other; successively
- à tour de rôleone after the other; successively
- en retourin response, in return
- à son tourhaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
- à leur tourhaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
German der Reihe nach, nacheinander
- der Reihe nachone after the other; successively
- nacheinanderone after the other; successively
- wiederumin response, in return
- wiederumhaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
Greek διαδοχικά
- διαδοχικά (diadochiká)one after the other; successively
Hebrew זֶה אַחַר זֶה
- זֶה אַחַר זֶה (ze akhár ze)one after the other; successively
Hungarian sorban, sorjában
- sorbanone after the other; successively
- sorjábanone after the other; successively
- sorraone after the other; successively
- egymás utánone after the other; successively
- következikin due order, as a queue
- jönin due order, as a queue
- cserébein response, in return
- viszonzásulin response, in return
- válaszulin response, in return
- viszonzásképpin response, in return
- pedighaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
- másfelőlhaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
Italian a turno, uno dopo l'altro
- a turnoone after the other; successively
- uno dopo l'altroone after the other; successively
- una dopo l'altraone after the other; successively
- in codain due order, as a queue
- in rispostain response, in return
- a propria voltahaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
Japanese 次々に, 順々に
- 次々に (tsugitsugi ni)one after the other; successively
- 順々に (junjun ni)one after the other; successively
Latin vicem, a parte
- vicemone after the other; successively
- a parteone after the other; successively
- vicissimin response, in return
Norwegian en etter en, etter tur
- en etter enone after the other; successively
- etter turin due order, as a queue
- i tur og ordenin due order, as a queue
- i rekkefølgein due order, as a queue
Polish z kolei, w kolejności
- z koleione after the other; successively
- w kolejnościin due order, as a queue
- z koleiin response, in return
- z koleihaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
Portuguese por vez, por vez
- por vezone after the other; successively
- por vezin response, in return
- por vezhaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
- por sua vezhaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
Russian после́довательно, по о́череди
- после́довательно (poslédovatelʹno)one after the other; successively
- по о́череди (po óčeredi)one after the other; successively
- в о́череди (v óčeredi)in due order, as a queue
- в свою́ о́чередь (v svojú óčeredʹ)in response, in return
- в отве́т (v otvét)in response, in return
- в свою́ о́чередь (v svojú óčeredʹ)having a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
- то́же (tóže)having a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
- та́кже (tákže)having a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
Scottish Gaelic mu seach, mu seach
- mu seachone after the other; successively
- mu seachin due order, as a queue
Spanish a su vez, por vez
- a su vezhaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
- por vezhaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
Swedish i tur och ordning, i turordning
- i tur och ordningone after the other; successively
- i turordningone after the other; successively
- på turin due order, as a queue
- i gengäldin response, in return
- i sin turhaving a relationship sequentially comparable to one just mentioned
Ukrainian послідо́вно, по че́рзі
- послідо́вно (poslidóvno)one after the other; successively
- по че́рзі (po čérzi)one after the other; successively
- в свою́ че́ргу (v svojú čérhu)in response, in return
Cite this entry
in turn. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20turn
“in turn.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20turn. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in turn,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20turn.
Source: in turn on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.