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.
Chief Executive Jason Hollar said Cardinal Health’s latest quarterly results extended momentum, and that continually strong performance across multiple end markets gave the company confidence to again raise its outlook.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Celtic art occupies a fluid, timeless plane where birds, fishes, dragons, gods, humans and pure motion continually morph and merge.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
His ability to continually reinvent his squads in response to the players he has available and the tactical trends of the league, however, remains second to none.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026
“It’s very taxing and, of course, wages were just continually decreasing.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026
The question, asked continually throughout our childhood, was, Who is he hiding these things from?
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
