continua

variants also continuums
Definition of continuanext
plural of continuum
as in scales
formal a range or series of things that are slightly different from each other and that exist between two different possibilities His motives for volunteering lie somewhere on the continuum between charitable and self-serving. a continuum of temperatures ranging from very cold to very hot

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of continua This initiative provides grants to cities, counties and continuums of care to help prevent and end homelessness in their regions. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for continua
Noun
  • The local guides immediately stepped in, got off the boat and attempted to immobilize the snake so that Fry and Smith would be able to take one of its scales for their snake genetics study.
    Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Body Scan 2 Withings, which has been making connected scales since 2009, announced an upgrade at CES 2026.
    Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Much will soon be made of the movie’s epic, final-act twist, but despite such swerves, the film maintains its utter ambiguity to the end, giving heart to the lostness that so many across ideological spectrums now feel.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Other companies, such as BlackSky and Maxar, are providing their own electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) imagery—that is, images in the visible and infrared light spectrums—commercially.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Continua.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/continua. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!