continuity

American  

[kon-tn-oo-i-tee, -tn-yoo] / ˌkɒn tnˈu ɪ ti, -tnˈju /

noun

• continuities
  plural

1. the state or quality of being continuous.

2. a continuous or connected whole.

   Synonyms:

   progression, flow

3. a motion-picture scenario giving the complete action, scenes, etc., in detail and in the order in which they are to be shown on the screen.

4. the spoken part of a radio or television script that serves as introductory or transitional material on a nondramatic program.

5. Mathematics. the property of a continuous function.

6. Usually continuities. sets of merchandise, as dinnerware or encyclopedias, given free or sold cheaply by a store to shoppers as a sales promotion.

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continuity British  

/ ˌkɒntɪˈnjuːɪtɪ /

noun

1. logical sequence, cohesion, or connection

2. a continuous or connected whole

3. the comprehensive script or scenario of detail and movement in a film or broadcast

4. the continuous projection of a film, using automatic rewind

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncontinuity
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• continuities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of continuity

1375–1425; late Middle English continuite < Anglo-French < Latin continuitās, equivalent to continu ( us ) continuous + -itās -ity

Explanation

Continuity has to do with how things happen over time: if there aren't any bumps or breaks and everything goes on continuously, then there's continuity. Continuity has to do with consistency. If you have the same Spanish teacher for several semesters, that's great continuity. If you have five different teachers in one year, that's awful continuity. In TV and movies, continuity involves keeping the plot and characters consistent from one scene to the next. It drives fans crazy when a character is allergic to peanuts in one episode, and then eats a peanut butter sandwich in the next one.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

continuity continuities

Both are moving on, heading outside our field of vision; soon they’ll be gone, symbolizing the continuity of space and time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Instead, “VK2735 should compete effectively on long-term persistence, flexibility, convenience, and continuity of care,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

Tata Group stocks first soared and then crashed as the tensions mounted, reflecting hope and uncertainty about leadership and business continuity amid several high-stakes but loss-making bets by Chandrasekharan in sectors like semiconductors and airlines.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

“Nestle is committed to taking all necessary steps to protect its rights and ensure continuity of business operations in the interests of all stakeholders, particularly its employees,” the Swiss food maker said Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The society of Gethen, in its daily functioning and in its continuity, is without sex.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

The present war exhibits major continuities with the past.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

But—as other historians of the era’s continuing impact on American life has recently articulated—there are tremendous continuities between the New Deal and neoliberal stripes of capitalism.

From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2023

Two world wars, genocide, a new surveillance state: as German identity has been riven again and again by historical events in the last century, what continuities can we expect from its fiction?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2023

But Simon astutely observes that despite the heightened rhetoric, the surprising continuities between various administrations over the years outweigh the differences.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 20, 2023

Failing thus, we ought to let the originally given continuities stand on their own bottom.

From Essays in Radical Empiricism by William James

Related Words

• cohesion
• constancy
• continuum
• durability
• persistence
• stability
• stamina
• survival
• unity
• vitality