continuously
Americanadverb
-
without interruption or cessation; unceasingly.
To remain eligible for scholarship aid, a student must remain continuously enrolled at an educational institution located in the state.
-
in a directly connected way.
A mountainous spine, the Great Dividing Range, extends almost continuously from Far North Queensland to Victoria.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of continuously
Explanation
Something that happens continuously doesn't stop. If you enter a dance marathon, dancing continuously for an entire day, it means that you keep dancing — without even one break — for 24 hours. The Latin root of continuously is continuare, or "join together, or connect."Anything that's done continuously happens without any interruption. When it rains continuously for three days, there isn't a single dry moment during that time, and if your friend laughs continuously for ten minutes, you'll start to worry that there's something seriously wrong with her.
Vocabulary lists containing continuously
Memorial Day Words
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ly
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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.
Astronauts and cosmonauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station for more than 25 years.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
Debating in 1858 to represent Illinois in the Senate, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas continuously returned to the question of whether the declaration’s protections were exclusively meant for white people.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
There, fierce winds blow almost continuously around Antarctica, drawing deeper water up from below.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The researchers also believe the findings may help explain why humans continue building new abilities throughout life while current AI systems still struggle to learn continuously without disrupting previously acquired knowledge.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
I liked busying myself with work all day, going back and forth to the river and continuously washing dishes.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
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.
