Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

continental

American  
[kon-tn-en-tl] / ˌkɒn tnˈɛn tl /

adjective

  1. of or of the nature of a continent.

  2. (usually initial capital letter) of or relating to the mainland of Europe, to Europeans, or to European customs and attitudes.

  3. (initial capital letter) of or relating to the 13 original American colonies during and immediately after the American Revolution.

  4. of or relating to the continent of North America.


noun

  1. (initial capital letter) a soldier of the Continental Army in the American Revolution.

  2. a piece of paper currency issued by the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.

  3. a small amount.

    advice that's not worth a continental.

  4. an inhabitant of a continent.

  5. (usually initial capital letter) an inhabitant of the mainland of Europe.

Continental British  
/ ˌkɒntɪˈnɛntəl /

adjective

  1. of or characteristic of Europe, excluding the British Isles

  2. of or relating to the 13 original British North American colonies during and immediately after the War of American Independence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. (sometimes not capital) an inhabitant of Europe, excluding the British Isles

  2. a regular soldier of the rebel army during the War of American Independence

  3. history a currency note issued by the Continental Congress

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • Continentalism noun
  • Continentalist noun
  • continentally adverb
  • noncontinental adjective
  • precontinental adjective

Etymology

Origin of continental

First recorded in 1750–60; continent + -al 1

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.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, for all its headaches, remains an anchor for continental stability.

From Barron's

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, for all its headaches, remains an anchor for continental stability.

From Barron's

But Tighisti said that while "these are the countries that everyone is looking up to, there is a lack of continental leadership to really push the integration agenda".

From BBC

"Once it got into wild bird populations, we lost ability to control this virus. Now it's established in wild bird populations in all the continental regions of the world except Oceania."

From Science Daily

China coach Ante Milicic admits that the country has fallen far behind the top sides in women's football as the Asian nation attempts to pull off a surprise with back-to-back continental crowns.

From Barron's