constantly

American  

[kon-stuhnt-lee] / ˈkɒn stənt li /

adverb

1. without pausing; unceasingly.

   Add the milk and cook until thick, stirring constantly.

2. regularly or frequently; consistently.

   The charts have to be updated every few years as the geomagnetic field is changing constantly.

   We need to be constantly vigilant if we do not want the clutter to get out of hand.

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Other Word Forms

• overconstantly
  adverb
• quasi-constantly
  adverb
• unconstantly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of constantly

constant + -ly

Explanation

When something happens constantly, it never stops or changes. If you sister constantly complains that she's hungry, she is always insisting that she's starving. If your dog barks constantly when he's in the car, he doesn't stop until you reach your destination, and if you're constantly thinking about your upcoming trip to France, you can't ever get it out of your head. The adverb constantly comes from constant, or "continual," which is rooted in the Latin constantem, "standing firm, stable, steadfast, or faithful."

Example Sentences

In plain terms, it means populations may constantly respond to changing surroundings, while many mutations have tradeoffs that depend on the environment.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

"We are constantly grappling with the challenges posed by the sheer scale of these territories... and the organizations' capacity to rapidly rebuild what we destroy."

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

The most important thing that I learned, and that has proven to be the case yet again, is that you constantly need to work on reinforcing processes, controls, and culture.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Despite this, she says she still worries constantly about money.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

We held hands constantly, even when he was resting, our fingers rarely leaving the other’s.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• continually
• invariably
• regularly
• steadily