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• continental
  continental

  adjective

  of or of the nature of a continent.
• Continental
  Continental

  adjective

  of or characteristic of Europe, excluding the British Isles

continental

American  

[kon-tn-en-tl] / ˌkɒn tnˈɛn tl /

adjective

1. of or of the nature of a continent.

2. (usually initial capital letter) of or relating to the mainland of Europe, to Europeans, or to European customs and attitudes.

3. (initial capital letter) of or relating to the 13 original American colonies during and immediately after the American Revolution.

4. of or relating to the continent of North America.

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noun

continentals plural

1. (initial capital letter) a soldier of the Continental Army in the American Revolution.

2. a piece of paper currency issued by the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.

3. a small amount.

   advice that's not worth a continental.

4. an inhabitant of a continent.

5. (usually initial capital letter) an inhabitant of the mainland of Europe.

Continental British  

/ ˌkɒntɪˈnɛntəl /

adjective

1. of or characteristic of Europe, excluding the British Isles

2. of or relating to the 13 original British North American colonies during and immediately after the War of American Independence

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noun

1. (sometimes not capital) an inhabitant of Europe, excluding the British Isles

2. a regular soldier of the rebel army during the War of American Independence

3. history a currency note issued by the Continental Congress

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Continentalism
  noun
• Continentalist
  noun
• noncontinental
  adjective
• precontinental
  adjective
• continentally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• continentals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of continental

First recorded in 1750–60; continent + -al ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

continental Continental continentals

When sea levels were high, shallow continental shelves covered a larger area.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026

At the end of the ’90s, Tyler signed with Hansa/BMG Ariola and, eventually, with EastWest Records and continued to find success in continental Europe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

Argentina have enjoyed extensive continental success, too, winning the Copa America a record 16 times - including the past two tournaments.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

Donovan highlighted that the issue is not that the U.K. is losing its population of millionaires, but that growth is happening from an already large base in comparison with continental Europe.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

The fact that the Japanese had attacked Hawaii rather than invaded the continental United States was a distinction that neither of us bothered to quibble over.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

He was later clocked driving his Bentley Continental GT at 82mph in a 70mph limit on the A50 Rudhall Overbridge, also in Herefordshire, on 22 December.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

The transaction will add Danish Continental Shelf assets with stable production and limited near-term investment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The challenges of keeping an army fed and armed gradually imposed this insight on even the most obdurate members of the Continental Congress.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

For Peil, who last year completed a traineeship at tyre-maker and industrial supplier Continental before it spun off its automotive business, the crisis meant it was clear he would not be taken on.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

From the motel parking lot a white Lincoln Continental emerged.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

"If you don't do this and let the continentals get ahead, then they will start to undermine the cement ... which is clearing, settlement and transactions," Hodson said.

From Reuters ● Sep. 2, 2021

Britain used to be seen by continentals as quirky and occasionally awkward - but reliably pragmatic on the economy.

From BBC ● Jan. 21, 2017

Even among continentals, the post-Brexit fall of the pound seems to have compensated for whatever affront they may have taken.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 15, 2016

A complaint many continentals and Britons north of Oxford often make of those in between.

From Economist ● Oct. 19, 2012

The prejudice that islanders are supposed to learn from superior continentals wasn’t the sole reason why record-breaking Japanese pottery caused such a shock.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• global
• multicultural