continual

American  

[kuhn-tin-yoo-uhl] / kənˈtɪn yu əl /

adjective

1. of regular or frequent recurrence; often repeated; very frequent.

   continual bus departures.

   Synonyms:

   repetitious, repetitive, recurrent, successive

2. happening without interruption or cessation; continuous in time.

   Synonyms:

   unending, permanent, unbroken, unremitting, uninterrupted, incessant, ceaseless, unceasing

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continual British  

/ kənˈtɪnjʊəl /

adjective

1. recurring frequently, esp at regular intervals

2. occurring without interruption; continuous in time

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Commonly Confused

Although usage guides generally advise that continual may be used only to mean “intermittent” and continuous only to mean “uninterrupted,” the words are used interchangeably in all kinds of speech and writing with no distinction in meaning: The president's life is under continual (or continuous ) scrutiny. Continuous (or continual ) bursts of laughter punctuated her testimony. The adverbs continually and continuously are also used interchangeably. To make a clear distinction between what occurs at short intervals and what proceeds without interruption, writers sometimes use the contrasting terms intermittent ( intermittent losses of power during the storm ) and uninterrupted ( uninterrupted reception during the storm ) or similar expressions. Continuous is not interchangeable with continual in the sense of spatial relationship: a continuous (not continual ) series of passages.

Other Word Forms

• continuality noun
• continually adverb
• continualness noun
• quasi-continual adjective
• quasi-continually adverb
• uncontinual adjective
• uncontinually adverb

Etymology

Origin of continual

First recorded in 1300–50; from Medieval Latin continuālis, equivalent to Latin continu(us) “uninterrupted” + -ālis adjective suffix; replacing Middle English continuel, from Middle French, from Latin, as above; see continuous, -al ¹

Explanation

The adjective continual describes something that's recurring, that happens again and again. If your pet wolf keeps up his continual howling all night, your neighbors will let you know about it. Something continual doesn't seem to stop. Your continual nightmares about terrifying clowns occur night after night, and the continual interruptions of your adorable nephew while you're talking on the phone will probably seem less and less cute the longer they continue. The Latin root word is continuus, "uninterrupted," and if you're truly talking about something going on without pause, you'll want to use the word continuous instead.

Example Sentences

"The more of us that call out Royal Mail for their actions and their continual service failures that affect the people of Wrexham, the better."

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Crew chief Marc Davis said in a pool report that both players were “assessed technical fouls for their continual taunting of one another.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

Evergreen funds allow continual fundraising and reinvestment, creating the feel of an open-end mutual fund, with access to private deals tucked inside.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026

By the 1960s, continual snacking had become the American way.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

I seem to be in a strange, continual twilight.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• around-the-clock
• ceaseless
• continuous
• endless
• enduring
• frequent
• interminable
• perpetual
• persistent
• recurrent
• relentless
• repeated
• steady
• unbroken
• unceasing
• unending
• uninterrupted
• unremitting