Synonyms

continue

American

[kuhn-tin-yoo] / kənˈtɪn ju /

verb (used without object)

to go on after suspension or interruption.

The program continued after an intermission.
to go on or keep on, as in some course or action; extend.

The road continues for three miles.

Antonyms:

cease
to last or endure.

The strike continued for two months.
to remain in a particular state or capacity.

The general agreed to continue in command of the army.
to remain in a place; abide; stay.

Let us continue in this house forever.

verb (used with object)

to go on with or persist in.

to continue an action.
to carry on from the point of suspension or interruption.

He continued the concert after the latecomers were seated.
to extend from one point to another in space; prolong.
to say in continuation.
to cause to last or endure; maintain or retain, as in a position.
to carry over, postpone, or adjourn; keep pending, as a legal proceeding.

continue British

/ kənˈtɪnjuː /

verb

(when tr, may take an infinitive) to remain or cause to remain in a particular condition, capacity, or place
(when tr, may take an infinitive) to carry on uninterruptedly (a course of action); persist in (something)

he continued running
(when tr, may take an infinitive) to resume after an interruption

we'll continue after lunch
to draw out or be drawn out; prolong or be prolonged

continue the chord until it meets the tangent
(tr) law to postpone or adjourn (legal proceedings)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

Where does continue come from? Continue entered English around 1300–50. Coming into English through French, continue ultimately comes from the Latin continuāre, meaning “to make all one, join together, connect.” This verb could also mean, much like its English derivative, “to carry on, draw out, prolong, last”—that is, to continue. The Latin verb continuāre is formed from the adjective continuus. Does continuus look familiar? It’s the direct source of the English continuous, meaning “uninterrupted in time; without cessation” or “being in immediate connection or spatial relationship.”The Latin adjective continuus meant “uninterrupted, unbroken, continuous.” That’s right: continuus meant, well, continuous. Sometimes, there is a great a deal of continuity in word development. But we’re not done yet. The Latin continuus is itself ultimately based on another verb, continēre, “to hold or keep together.” So, something that continues—that is, it goes on, keeps on, or endures in some way—stays all held together, in an etymological manner of speaking. Dig deeperWe noted above that continue is ultimately connected to continēre, “to hold together.” Continēre is the source of some other familiar English words, including contain, continent, and content. Does knowing that all these words come from a verb meaning “to hold together” give you any deeper insights into these words?For all this talk of holding things together, we can, er, continue breaking apart the roots of the Latin verb continēre. It is composed of con-, a productive prefix with the sense of “with, together,” and tenēre, “to hold.”Derivations of tenēre appears in a great many English words, including detain, detention, entertain, tenacious, tenant, tenet, retain, retention, sustain, and sustenance. But don’t be fooled. While detain is related to detention and retain to retention, contain is not related to contention, or “strife, contest, controversy.” Contention is derived from the same Latin root that gives English contend.

Synonym Usage

Continue, endure, persist, persevere, last, remain imply existing uninterruptedly for an appreciable length of time. Continue implies duration or existence without break or interruption. Endure, used of people or things, implies persistent continuance against influences that tend to weaken, undermine, or destroy. Persist and persevere, used principally of people, both imply firm and steadfast continuance in the face of opposition. Persist suggests human opposition: He persisted after he had been warned; and persevere suggests opposition from any source, often an impersonal one: He persevered despite fatigue. Last often applies to something that holds out to a desired end, fresh, unimpaired, or unexhausted, sometimes under conditions that tend to produce the opposite effect: They had provisions enough to last all winter. Remain is especially applied to what continues without change in its essential state: He remained a bachelor.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of continue

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin continuāre “to make all one,” verbal derivative of continuus continuous

Explanation

To continue an activity is to keep it going, either with or without interruption. If you ask the newspaper to continue delivering your paper while you are on vacation, you want to receive all the news while you’re away. The verb continue is related to the word continuous, from the Latin word continuare, meaning “join together” or “connect.” When anything goes on without a break, like the middle school variety show, it continues, uninterrupted. You can also continue something that was paused or set aside. You could, for instance, continue watching the movie that you paused when the pizza was delivered and then continue to drive your parents crazy by texting your friends while watching the movie with them.

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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.

See Examples For:

continue continues continued continuing

“I think so far it has been; I expect that to continue far into the future.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

"I'll continue to, hopefully, maintain an informal relationship with the PM and his team," he added.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Zoley said ICE is contemplating buying more than 10 facilities, and that number “could continue to grow.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

The US Supreme Court on Friday allowed construction of a massive White House ballroom to continue for now, giving President Donald Trump a temporary victory for one of his pet renovation projects.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Science will continue to evolve, and scientists will continue to stretch the bounds of what we know.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

He continues by "mewing," a TikTok trend where people suck in their cheeks and point a finger at their jawline to emphasize their chiseled features.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

"Police are currently on scene and the Gurdwara has been closed to the public while the investigation continues," the World Sikh Organization said in its statement.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

It lacks the assortment of heavy trucks that sustain GM’s bottom line, although Toyota’s hybrid-heavy lineup continues to pay off amid high gas prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Highly-rated 16-year-old academy defender Marli Salmon is also on the books, but is most likely to be used sparingly in cup competitions as he continues to develop.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

I use ASL to ask if she’s okay, but Autumn just turns and continues walking deeper into the Eloko.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

"And with continued uncertainty in the Middle East — itself driven in part by US actions — South Korea may have few alternatives if the Arctic route proves economically viable," he told AFP.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

The targeting of oil refineries has continued apace.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

U.S. natural gas futures rose as weather models added some heat to the near-term outlook, while LNG feedgas flows continued recovering.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Jando also continued his work as a pilot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

The battles continued; Union and Confederate troops traded small victories and bigger losses.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

He’s gung-ho about continuing to try to win, again, including next year, subject to whatever next year’s climate looks like.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Carr’s continuing fights with ABC include a potential challenge to the network’s broadcast licenses for its eight-owned television stations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

On Thursday, traders were continuing to negotiate how much they want to get paid on U.S. government debt.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

But those that miss the grade can find themselves in a continuing loop of resits as they try and try again to pass.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Then Scruffy got up and began walking this way and that, his nose low to the ground, continuing to sniff.

From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023