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continual

adjective
con·​tin·​u·​al | \ kÉ™n-ˈtin-yü-É™l How to pronounce continual (audio) , -yÉ™l\

Definition of continual

1 : continuing indefinitely in time without interruption continual fear
2 : recurring in steady usually rapid succession a history of continual invasions
Other Words from continual Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about continual

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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

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. The prescribed sense of continuous became established only in the 19th century, and it never succeeded in completely driving out the equivalent sense of continual. 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."

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.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 In suburbs that grew quickly after World War II, often without a traditional town center, the new libraries are serving as hubs for community engagement and continual learning. — Steven Litt, cleveland.com, "New Cuyahoga County libraries are spirited variations on themes of service, light, sense of place – Steven Litt," 21 July 2019 Training frequency: Recruit basic training is continual. — CBS News, "We asked 155 police departments about their racial bias training. Here's what they told us.," 7 Aug. 2019 For the last three years we have been subjected to a continual barrage of chaos, confusion, misinformation and evidence of wrongdoing by both the commander-in-chief and many of his top lieutenants. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Your Say: Election 2020 priorities," 2 Aug. 2019 One small but annoying aspect of keeping flower pots looking good all season is the continual watering that is required. — Pat Lenhoff, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Outdoor dining, beach weather soon will end. Enjoy summer while it lasts.," 30 July 2019 But with continual human feedback, systems can learn when to treat the outliers as authoritative. — E’narda Mccalister, Billboard, "Why Humans & Computers Must Work Together to Secure the Future of Music Rights (Guest Op-Ed)," 30 July 2019 Afterward, Verheyen experienced continual agony in the empty space where his leg had been. — Ruth Franklin, The New Yorker, "Olga Tokarczuk’s Novels Against Nationalism," 29 July 2019 The organic-technological hybrids travel through a scenario that depicts worlds within worlds, with continual shifts in scale, location and perspective. — Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, "In the galleries: A revelatory exhibition by D.C. artist Jonathan Monaghan," 26 July 2019 The troops were assigned to the facility to provide welfare checks on the migrants, but the officials say that has evolved into a continual presence watching over them. — NBC News, "Active-duty U.S. troops are now just feet away from migrants in Texas," 25 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'continual.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of continual

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for continual

Middle English, from Anglo-French continuel, from Latin continuus continuous

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More Definitions for continual

continual

adjective
How to pronounce continual (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of continual

: happening without interruption : not stopping or ending
: happening again and again within short periods of time

See the full definition for continual in the English Language Learners Dictionary

continual

adjective
con·​tin·​u·​al | \ kÉ™n-ˈtin-yÉ™-wÉ™l How to pronounce continual (audio) \

Kids Definition of continual

1 : going on or lasting without stop On every side there rose a continual chattering.— Robert Lawson, Rabbit Hill
2 : occurring again and again within short periods of time Your continual interruptions are annoying.

Other Words from continual

continually adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on continual

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for continual

Spanish Central: Translation of continual

Nglish: Translation of continual for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of continual for Arabic Speakers

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