continue

verb

con·​tin·​ue kən-ˈtin-(ˌ)yü 

continued; continuing

intransitive verb

1

: to maintain without interruption a condition, course, or action

The boat continued downstream.

The design phase will continue through next year.

—Alexandria Sands

2

: to remain in existence : endure

The tradition continues to this day.

Good weather continued for several days.

3

: to remain in a place or condition : stay

We cannot continue here much longer.

She continued as director for another year.

By the end of the war, as many as 80,000 officers and men had been unable to continue in the trenches …

—Martin Gilbert

4

: to resume an activity after interruption

We'll continue after lunch.

The play continued after an intermission.

transitive verb

1

a

: keep up, maintain

continues walking

There might also be a legal argument for companies to continue making the off-brand versions.

—Yasmin Tayag

b

: to keep going or add to : prolong

continue the battle

also : to resume after interruption or pause

They agreed to continue their conversation in the morning.

The second stage, meanwhile, continued the climb to orbit on the power of its single … engine.

—William Harwood

2

: to cause to continue

chose not to continue her subscription

3

: to allow to remain in a place or condition : retain

The trustees were continued.

4

: to postpone (a legal proceeding) by a continuance

granted a motion to continue the case

continuer

kən-ˈtin-yü-ər 

noun

Synonyms of continue

• remain
• persist
• last

Choose the Right Synonym for continue

continue, last, endure, abide, persist mean to exist over a period of time or indefinitely.

continue applies to a process going on without ending.

the search for peace will continue

last, especially when unqualified, may stress existing beyond what is normal or expected.

buy shoes that will last

endure adds an implication of resisting destructive forces or agencies.

in spite of everything, her faith endured

abide implies stable and constant existing especially as opposed to mutability.

a love that abides through 40 years of marriage

persist suggests outlasting the normal or appointed time and often connotes obstinacy or doggedness.

the sense of guilt persisted

Examples of continue in a Sentence

The team will continue with their drills until the coach is satisfied with their performance.

The world's population continues to grow.

The traditions will continue only as long as the next generations keep them alive.

The good weather continued for several days.

The lecture continued for another hour after we left.

Exit the highway, take a right off the ramp, then continue down the street until you get to the first traffic light.

Continue along this path until you come to the end.

The plot gets more and more intricate as the story continues.

Recent Examples on the Web

Marcus and Nick continue to raise money and awareness through a foundation in their mother’s name, the Janis Foligno Foundation. —Joe Smith, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025

The reports, crucial to the design of building foundations, show a long-running struggle to accurately predict the amount of sinking and continuing questions over how to curb it. —Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 1 Dec. 2025

Regardless of today’s outcome, the broader questions about protecting online speech, defining the boundary between opinion and defamation, and safeguarding independent creators will continue to be critically important. —Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025

The party, with which mainstream parties refuse to work, has continued to rise in polls as Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition government has failed to impress voters. —Daniel Niemann, Arkansas Online, 1 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English continuen "to persist, persevere, last, postpone (a hearing or trial)," borrowed from Anglo-French continuer, borrowed from Latin continuāre "to make continuous, extend in space, keep on with," verbal derivative of continuus "uninterrupted, continuous"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for continue

• continuo
• discontinue

Kids Definition

continue

verb

con·​tin·​ue kən-ˈtin-yü 

continued; continuing

1

: to do or cause to do the same thing without stopping

I continue to work hard

the weather continued hot and sunny

2

: to go on or carry on after an interruption : resume

to be continued next week

continuer

-yə-wər

noun

Legal Definition

continue

transitive verb

con·​tin·​ue

continued; continuing

: to postpone (a legal proceeding) to a future day