When electrical components are wired together one after another so that the current will flow through them sequentially, they are said to be wired 'in series'. When they are wired together side by side, so that the current flows through them all at the same time, they are said to be wired 'in parallel'.
A series-parallel circuit contains both a series circuit AND a parallel circuit, and it can be analyzed using the same electrical laws that apply to separate series or parallel circuits.
A circuit for panel lights is an example of a series-parallel circuit in an automotive application.
