continual

adjective

con·​tin·​u·​al kən-ˈtin-yü-əl How to pronounce continual (audio)
-yəl
1
: continuing indefinitely in time without interruption
continual fear
2
: recurring in steady usually rapid succession
a history of continual invasions

Did you know?

Since the mid-19th century, many grammarians have drawn a distinction between continual and continuous. Continual should only mean "occurring at regular intervals," they insist, whereas continuous should be used to mean "continuing without interruption." This distinction overlooks the fact that continual is the older word and was used with both meanings for centuries before continuous appeared on the scene. Today, continual is the more likely of the two to mean "recurring," but it also continues to be used, as it has been since the 14th century, with the meaning "continuing without interruption."

Choose the Right Synonym for continual

continual, continuous, constant, incessant, perpetual, perennial mean characterized by continued occurrence or recurrence.

continual often implies a close prolonged succession or recurrence.

continual showers the whole weekend

continuous usually implies an uninterrupted flow or spatial extension.

football's oldest continuous rivalry

constant implies uniform or persistent occurrence or recurrence.

lived in constant pain

incessant implies ceaseless or uninterrupted activity.

annoyed by the incessant quarreling

perpetual suggests unfailing repetition or lasting duration.

a land of perpetual snowfall

perennial implies enduring existence often through constant renewal.

a perennial source of controversy

Examples of continual in a Sentence

This week we experienced days of continual sunshine. The country has been in a continual state of war since it began fighting for its independence. The continual interruptions by the student were annoying the teacher.
Recent Examples on the Web But while hiring and retaining skilled talent is a continual worry for businesses, the CTO of tech giant ServiceNow believes the best strategy is to lean into the trend. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 Facing continual Russian attacks, undermanned units could become increasingly hollowed out and lose the ability to defend themselves. Dara Massicot, Foreign Affairs, 8 Mar. 2024 Against them, there is the tough-minded continual splendor of Robinson’s attention to Genesis’ figures in the landscape. Francis Spufford, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 As the system is used, continual adjustments and improvements can be made to provide optimal decisions. Gerard Szatvanyi, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Fort Worth Independent School District students saw gains in reading and math across kindergarten through eighth grade this school year — a bright spot that could signal continual growth as the district’s state test scores have fluctuated while attempting to rebound from COVID-19 learning gaps. Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Feb. 2024 State District Judge Chap Cain III ruled that continual discipline of high school student Darryl George is legal under the CROWN Act based on his hair length. Essence, 22 Feb. 2024 And though the state couldn’t provide actual audio or text exchanges in which a potential robbery was discussed — Imm provided a convincing timeline that showed continual interactions among Readon, Cosby and Walton leading up to the death of Andrea Camps-Lacayo. Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 Even in this most Manichean of contests, relating strategy to morality was a continual challenge. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'continual.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English continuel, borrowed from Anglo-French, probably from continu continuous + -el, going back to Latin -ālis -al entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of continual was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near continual

Cite this Entry

“Continual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/continual. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

continual

adjective
con·​tin·​u·​al kən-ˈtin-yə(-wə)l How to pronounce continual (audio)
1
: continuing without interruption
days of continual sunshine
2
: occurring again and again within short intervals
continual interruptions
continually
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on continual

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