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

• again and again
• constantly
• frequently
• hourly
• much
• oft
• often
• oftentimes
• ofttimes
• over and over
• repeatedly

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

Unlike staking tomatoes, which requires hands-on maintenance to continually tie the stem to the support, caging is nearly maintenance-free. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2025

Extending the sounds of different voices story after story ad infinitum, My First Time suggests that these individual moments of recognition embody a kind of collective trauma that is continually on repeat. —Ivy G. Wilson, Artforum, 1 May 2025

Our individual performance plan fosters long-term engagement, reduces costly turnover and ensures employees continually develop in-demand skills. —Lance Reid, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

However, the lure, history and emotion of the English game is continually attracting investors to capture these distressed clubs, restructure and revive them, with the aim of replicating the success of Bournemouth, going from administration to Premier League in six years. —Matt Slater, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above