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

Evolutionary importance and modern life While the appendix has an interesting past, with evolution continually reinventing it, its modern importance is modest at best. —Lilia Goncharova, The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2026

The physical 5-foot-10 guard continually attacked the basket and scored a game-high 44 points, including sinking 14 of 19 free throws. —Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026

Authors, professors, nonprofits and more over the last 55 years have continually manipulated the relevance of 20 springs first identified along the Ocklawaha by a graduate student in 1971. —Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026

But, again, this awards season has continually reminded me and all my peers to expect the unexpected. —Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above