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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

continentals plural
  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

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of continental

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

Vocabulary lists containing continental

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.

Espina, as the itinerary indicates, is now a lobbyist for Continental Strategy.

From Salon • May 29, 2026

“Barry loves music as much as anyone I’ve ever known,” says Bette Midler, who hired Manilow as her pianist for the name-making gig she played at New York’s Continental Baths in the early 1970s.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

The sediment cores came from the Cretaceous Continental Scientific Drilling Project, an international drilling effort launched in 2006 by Prof. Wang.

From Science Daily • May 27, 2026

Continental Resources is looking to expand in Argentina and Turkey.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Veterans of the Continental Army, like Hamilton and John Marshall, fully understood this essential point.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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