continual
Americanadjective
-
of regular or frequent recurrence; often repeated; very frequent.
continual bus departures.
- Synonyms:
- repetitious, repetitive, recurrent, successive
-
happening without interruption or cessation; continuous in time.
- Synonyms:
- unending, permanent, unbroken, unremitting, uninterrupted, incessant, ceaseless, unceasing
adjective
-
recurring frequently, esp at regular intervals
-
occurring without interruption; continuous in time
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; continuous, -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 continual violation of CIF bylaw 600 has left City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos scrambling to replace teams.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 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
The criticism of his players "can go too far" and he finds continual discussion of disciplinary proceedings "quite annoying"
From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026
The 91-Tangos shuffled out through the airlock corridor, two by two, numb and tired beyond feeling, soaked with sweat and continual fear.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
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.
