continually
Americanadverb
-
very often; at regular or frequent intervals; habitually.
-
without cessation or intermission; unceasingly; always.
Commonly Confused
See continual.
Etymology
Origin of continually
First recorded in 1175–1225, continually is from the Middle English word continuelli, continueliche; see continual, -ly
Explanation
When you do something continually, you do it over and over again. If you keep checking your email to see if you've gotten an important message, you can say you check it continually. The adverb continually is good for describing something you do repeatedly, or on a regular basis. Your little brother, for example, might complain continually that he's hungry for ice cream. The word continuously is easy to confuse with continually — when you do something continually, you take breaks in between, but when you do it continuously, you don't stop at all. Both come from a Latin root, continuare, or "join together."
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.
To make this possible, the evidence of experts needs to be continually discredited.
From Salon • Jun. 13, 2026
ADS-B Out continually broadcasts an aircraft’s location, altitude, speed and identification number, giving air-traffic control better situational awareness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
“We’re not making records that are just going to go sit on the shelf — these are records we’re continually repressing all the time anyway.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Because the caustic structure continually shifts, the resulting flashes would occur again and again, creating a recognizable pattern that astronomers could search for.
From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026
Her tasks moved her continually away from us—her senseless shadows, a husband and living daughters.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
