continually

adverb

con·​tin·​u·​al·​ly kən-ˈtin-yü-ə-lē 

-yə-lē

: in a continual manner : without stopping or interruption

a security system that runs continually

We had endured a series of dark, gloomy, winter days, during which the sun had been continually hidden behind dense, rain clouds.

—George Thatcher

… I was too thoroughly swept away by this richly imagined and continually surprising novel to be concerned with cute comparisons.

—Edan Lepucki

They bickered continually, ignoring me as I worked around them.

—Paula Fox

: in a constantly repeated manner : over and over

being interrupted continually

She would write. I would read and edit, and sometimes shift the wordings, or change phrases or delete things. We would continually refine what was written.

—Herbie Hancock

Synonyms of continually

• constantly
• often
• repeatedly
• frequently

Examples of continually in a Sentence

grew up in a time when children were continually being told to mind their manners

the computer program continually updates the file with new information

Recent Examples on the Web

Chicago was not sturdy enough to withstand Ball's absence, and the next few years saw Karnišovas continually bring up this setback in press conferences while failing to reimagine the roster. —Todd Feurer, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026

While the promise of democratic participation remains, its realization is continually pushed into the future. —Jasmin Lilian Diab, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2026

And while Kennedy’s 27-year run at one company may be unusual today, the underlying lesson is that meaningful career growth comes from continually expanding one’s range, deepening judgment, and seeking out stretch opportunities—whether that happens within one company or across several. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026

Boasting the complete libraries of MCU and Star Wars are undoubted attributes, but continually giving viewers new episodes of both in the same small stretch of time is an undeniable flex. —Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contynuely, from continuel continual + -ly -ly entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above