Using the coupled cluster Lagrangian technique, we have determined perturbative corrections to the coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) energy that converge towards the coupled cluster singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) and coupled cluster singles, doubles, triples, and quadruples (CCSDTQ) energies, considering the CCSD state as the unperturbed reference state and the fluctua- tion potential as the perturbation. Since the Lagrangian technique is utilized, the energy corrections satisfy Wigner’s 2n + 1 rule for the cluster amplitudes and the 2n + 2 rule for the Lagrange multi- pliers. The energy corrections define the CCSD perturbation series, CCSD(T–n) and CCSD(TQ–n), which are term-wise size extensive to any order in the perturbation. A detailed comparison of the CCSD(TQ–n) series and the CC(2)PT(n) series of Hirata et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 114, 3919 (2001)] has been performed, revealing some deficiencies of the latter related to the target energy of the series and its lack of size extensivity. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4862501]