continue
Americanverb (used without object)
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continues,
present (3rd person singular)
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continued,
past participle, past
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continuing
present participle
-
to go on after suspension or interruption.
The program continued after an intermission.
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to go on or keep on, as in some course or action; extend.
The road continues for three miles.
- Antonyms:
- cease
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to last or endure.
The strike continued for two months.
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to remain in a particular state or capacity.
The general agreed to continue in command of the army.
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to remain in a place; abide; stay.
Let us continue in this house forever.
verb (used with object)
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continues,
present (3rd person singular)
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continued,
past participle, past
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continuing
present participle
-
to go on with or persist in.
to continue an action.
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to carry on from the point of suspension or interruption.
He continued the concert after the latecomers were seated.
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to extend from one point to another in space; prolong.
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to say in continuation.
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to cause to last or endure; maintain or retain, as in a position.
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to carry over, postpone, or adjourn; keep pending, as a legal proceeding.
verb
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(when tr, may take an infinitive) to remain or cause to remain in a particular condition, capacity, or place
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(when tr, may take an infinitive) to carry on uninterruptedly (a course of action); persist in (something)
he continued running
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(when tr, may take an infinitive) to resume after an interruption
we'll continue after lunch
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to draw out or be drawn out; prolong or be prolonged
continue the chord until it meets the tangent
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(tr) law to postpone or adjourn (legal proceedings)
Usage
Where does continue come from? Continue entered English around 1300–50. Coming into English through French, continue ultimately comes from the Latin continuāre, meaning “to make all one, join together, connect.” This verb could also mean, much like its English derivative, “to carry on, draw out, prolong, last”—that is, to continue. The Latin verb continuāre is formed from the adjective continuus. Does continuus look familiar? It’s the direct source of the English continuous, meaning “uninterrupted in time; without cessation” or “being in immediate connection or spatial relationship.”The Latin adjective continuus meant “uninterrupted, unbroken, continuous.” That’s right: continuus meant, well, continuous. Sometimes, there is a great a deal of continuity in word development. But we’re not done yet. The Latin continuus is itself ultimately based on another verb, continēre, “to hold or keep together.” So, something that continues—that is, it goes on, keeps on, or endures in some way—stays all held together, in an etymological manner of speaking. Dig deeperWe noted above that continue is ultimately connected to continēre, “to hold together.” Continēre is the source of some other familiar English words, including contain, continent, and content. Does knowing that all these words come from a verb meaning “to hold together” give you any deeper insights into these words?For all this talk of holding things together, we can, er, continue breaking apart the roots of the Latin verb continēre. It is composed of con-, a productive prefix with the sense of “with, together,” and tenēre, “to hold.”Derivations of tenēre appears in a great many English words, including detain, detention, entertain, tenacious, tenant, tenet, retain, retention, sustain, and sustenance. But don’t be fooled. While detain is related to detention and retain to retention, contain is not related to contention, or “strife, contest, controversy.” Contention is derived from the same Latin root that gives English contend.
Synonym Usage
Continue, endure, persist, persevere, last, remain imply existing uninterruptedly for an appreciable length of time. Continue implies duration or existence without break or interruption. Endure, used of people or things, implies persistent continuance against influences that tend to weaken, undermine, or destroy. Persist and persevere, used principally of people, both imply firm and steadfast continuance in the face of opposition. Persist suggests human opposition: He persisted after he had been warned; and persevere suggests opposition from any source, often an impersonal one: He persevered despite fatigue. Last often applies to something that holds out to a desired end, fresh, unimpaired, or unexhausted, sometimes under conditions that tend to produce the opposite effect: They had provisions enough to last all winter. Remain is especially applied to what continues without change in its essential state: He remained a bachelor.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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continuernoun
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continuableadjective
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noncontinuableadjective
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continuinglyadverb
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noncontinuablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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continuesimple
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continuessimple
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have continuedperfect
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has continuedperfect
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am continuingprogressive
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are continuingprogressive
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is continuingprogressive
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have been continuingperfect progressive
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has been continuingperfect progressive
Past
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continuedsimple
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had continuedperfect
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was continuingprogressive
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were continuingprogressive
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had been continuingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of continue
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin continuāre “to make all one,” verbal derivative of continuus continuous
Explanation
To continue an activity is to keep it going, either with or without interruption. If you ask the newspaper to continue delivering your paper while you are on vacation, you want to receive all the news while you’re away. The verb continue is related to the word continuous, from the Latin word continuare, meaning “join together” or “connect.” When anything goes on without a break, like the middle school variety show, it continues, uninterrupted. You can also continue something that was paused or set aside. You could, for instance, continue watching the movie that you paused when the pizza was delivered and then continue to drive your parents crazy by texting your friends while watching the movie with them.
Vocabulary lists containing continue
"The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet"
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"Zlateh the Goat"
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"A Conflict Close to Home"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"Along with our vow to renounce war, I reaffirmed our determination to continue fulfilling our responsibility to uphold Japan's postwar path as a peaceful nation," he added.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
"The West is losing the argument over recognition," says a former senior UN official who requested anonymity because they continue to work in Afghanistan.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia has been shut down for more than a month while state safety officials continue an investigation involving the attraction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
In a letter to shareholders in February, Abel said that Berkshire would continue its “concentrated approach” to stock investing.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
He thought hard, and at last found the solution: he would continue on his way and ask the first person he met to do him the honor and dub him a knight!
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
The heptathlon continues later with the shot put and 200m events completing the first day of competition, before the long jump, javelin and 800m take place on Saturday.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
“We think wage growth remains the key labor market indicator as it continues to gauge the extent of second round inflation effects from the Gulf conflict,” RBC Capital Markets strategists said in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Maiava said he continues to refine his command of Riley’s offense and has learned more than he imagined was possible when he started.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Even after a nuclear reactor is switched off, activity continues deep inside its core.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
He just continues to stare at me, amusement dancing behind his eyes.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Still, the continued disruptions are running down global oil inventories and reducing the market’s ability to absorb shocks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Emergency shelters were opened in several towns along the coast, as evacuations continued throughout the night.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Firefighters quickly put out the Lachman fire, but investigators testified at trial in June that embers continued to smolder underground, reigniting on Jan. 7.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The finding adds important new evidence to a scientific debate that has continued for about 30 years.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
When he reached the other side, he did not even stop for Duane but continued on in the direction of his field where he wished to be left alone.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
“With testing continuing and airport officials remaining optimistic about opening later in 2026, the repeated delays have raised concerns about whether the project can finally meet its latest timetable.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
And it's continuing - social media posts, actively recommended by Instagram's algorithm, are advertising another attempt at the crossing this weekend.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
In the case of the Lincoln, the carrier has been able to make few port calls while in the Arabian Sea, likely because of security concerns from the continuing war, naval experts said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
One firefighter was hospitalised and five others suffered minor injuries, the fire service confirmed, with crews continuing to extinguish "hotspots" in open grassland, along a railway and in gardens.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Remember I—’” May stopped reading suddenly, swallowing hard before continuing.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
