continuous
uninterrupted in time; without cessation: continuous coughing during the concert.
being in immediate connection or spatial relationship: a continuous series of blasts; a continuous row of warehouses.
Grammar. progressive (def. 7).
Origin of continuous
1confusables note For continuous
Other words from continuous
- con·tin·u·ous·ly, adverb
- con·tin·u·ous·ness, noun
- non·con·tin·u·ous, adjective
- non·con·tin·u·ous·ness, noun
- qua·si-con·tin·u·ous, adjective
- sem·i·con·tin·u·ous, adjective
- un·con·tin·u·ous, adjective
Words that may be confused with continuous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for continuous
/ (kənˈtɪnjʊəs) /
prolonged without interruption; unceasing: a continuous noise
in an unbroken series or pattern
maths (of a function or curve) changing gradually in value as the variable changes in value. A function f is continuous if at every value a of the independent variable the difference between f(x) and f(a) approaches zero as x approaches a: Compare discontinuous (def. 2) See also limit (def. 5)
statistics (of a variable) having a continuum of possible values so that its distribution requires integration rather than summation to determine its cumulative probability: Compare discrete (def. 3)
grammar another word for progressive (def. 8)
Origin of continuous
1usage For continuous
Derived forms of continuous
- continuously, adverb
- continuousness, noun
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
Scientific definitions for continuous
[ kən-tĭn′yōō-əs ]
Relating to a line or curve that extends without a break or irregularity.
A function in which changes, however small, to any x-value result in small changes to the corresponding y-value, without sudden jumps. Technically, a function is continuous at the point c if it meets the following condition: for any positive number ε, however small, there exists a positive number δ such that for all x within the distance δ from c, the value of f(x) will be within the distance ε from f(c). Polynomials, exponential functions, and trigonometric functions are examples of continuous functions.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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