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

Winkler Bakery Winston-Salem, North Carolina Established in 1807, this Old Salem bakery is one of the oldest continually operating bakeries in the South. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025

And researchers and regulators continually monitor all vaccines. —NPR, 7 Nov. 2025

If Enceladus didn't continually receive enough energy from tidal heating, its ocean would gradually freeze. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 7 Nov. 2025

As the five-year case unfolded, Betty continually lost court battles and continued to act out. —Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above