continental

1 of 2

adjective

con·​ti·​nen·​tal ˌkän-tə-ˈnen-tᵊl 

1

a

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a continent

continental waters

specifically, often capitalized : of or relating to the continent of Europe excluding the British Isles

b

often capitalized : of, relating to, or being a cuisine derived from the classic dishes of Europe and especially France

2

a

often capitalized : of or relating to the colonies later forming the U.S.

Continental Congress

b

: being the part of the U.S. on the North American continent

also : being the part of the U.S. comprising the lower 48 states

continentally

ˌkän-tə-ˈnen-tə-lē 

adverb

continental

2 of 2

noun

1

a

often capitalized : an American soldier of the Revolution in the Continental army

b(1)

: a piece of Continental paper currency

(2)

: the least bit

not worth a continental

2

: an inhabitant of a continent and especially the continent of Europe

Synonyms

Noun

• damn
• whit
• lick
• little
• hoot
• syllable

Examples of continental in a Sentence

Adjective

They will be touring Continental Europe.

differences between Britain and its Continental neighbors

The hotel combines American comfort with continental elegance.

Noun

complained that today's youth doesn't care a continental about their elders

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

South Florida is home to the only barrier reef in the continental United States. —Cassie Martinez, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025

European football governing body UEFA’s allowable loss limit is less than the Premier League’s, so lowering wages has already happened at continental level, and its squad-cost rule is directly targeted at what teams spend on players. —Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025

Noun

Hosted by enthusiastic young continentals, songs are scored by a combination of dial-in votes from viewers and jurists representing the participating countries. —Amy Thomson, Bloomberg.com, 24 Apr. 2020

Kenyatta rejected concerns that a free trade deal with the United States would undermine a new continental free trade agreement in Africa aimed at creating the world’s largest common market. —Tom Odula, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Feb. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

continent entry 1 + -al entry 1

Noun

derivative of continental entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1755, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing continental

• continental breakfast
• continental drift
• continental shelf
• continental slope
• continental U.S.

Rhymes for continental

• accidental
• compartmental
• detrimental
• elemental
• fundamental
• governmental
• incidental
• incremental
• instrumental
• interdental
• monumental
• nonjudgmental

Kids Definition

continental

1 of 2 adjective

con·​ti·​nen·​tal ˌkänt-ᵊn-ˈent-ᵊl 

1

: of or relating to a continent

continental waters

especially, often capitalized : of or relating to the continent of Europe

2

often capitalized : of or relating to the colonies later forming the U.S.

Continental Congress

continental

2 of 2 noun

1

a

often capitalized : a soldier in the Continental army

b

: a piece of paper money issued by the Continental Congress

2

: european entry 2