continuous
kuhn-TIHN-yoo-uhs
Continuous (adjective) means going on without any break or interruption. Example: “Continuous rain fell on the village for three days and the river rose.”
adjective
1
Going on without any break or interruption.
"Continuous rain fell on the village for three days and the river rose."
"The factory runs on a continuous production line, 24 hours a day."
"She felt a continuous dull ache in her lower back all week."
2
In grammar, describing a verb form that shows an action still in progress.
"Use the past continuous to say what you were doing when the phone rang."
""She was reading" is a continuous form, not a simple one."
""Is running" is an example of the present continuous tense."
How to use continuous
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHappening non-stop, with no gaps or pauses.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "continual," which usually means repeated often but with breaks in between (e.g. "continual interruptions"), whereas "continuous" means unbroken.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
continuous improvement
continuous flow
continuous line
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_____ rain fell on the village for three days and the river rose.
Etymology
From Latin continuus ("connected, unbroken"), from continere, "to hold together." It pushed out the old native English word singal for the same idea.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for continuous
See all rhymes for continuous →Frequently asked questions
What does “continuous” mean?
The word “continuous” means going on without any break or interruption. In plain terms, happening non-stop, with no gaps or pauses.
How do you pronounce “continuous”?
“Continuous” is pronounced kuhn-TIHN-yoo-uhs (/kənˈtɪn.juː.əs/ in IPA).
How do you use “continuous” in a sentence?
Here is “continuous” used in a sentence: “The factory runs on a continuous production line, 24 hours a day.”
What is another word for “continuous”?
Words with a similar meaning to “continuous” include amaranthine, solid, ceaseless, constant, continual and continuate.
What is the opposite of “continuous”?
The opposite of “continuous” — its antonyms — are discontinuous, non-continuous, noncontinuous, broken and ending.
What part of speech is “continuous”?
“Continuous” is an adjective.
Where does the word “continuous” come from?
The word “continuous” comes from Latin. From Latin continuus ("connected, unbroken"), from continere, "to hold together." It pushed out the old native English word singal for the same idea.
Is “continuous” a common word?
“Continuous” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between 'continuous' and 'continual'?
'Continuous' means happening without any break or interruption, as in a continuous line or continuous rain. 'Continual' means happening repeatedly with pauses in between, as in continual interruptions. Careful writers keep the two distinct.
What is the continuous tense in English grammar?
The continuous tense, also called the progressive, uses a form of 'be' plus a verb ending in '-ing' to show an action in progress, as in 'she is running' or 'they were waiting.' It emphasises that the action is ongoing at a particular time.
When should you use 'continuous' instead of 'continual'?
Use 'continuous' when something goes on steadily with no gaps, such as continuous noise or a continuous supply of water. Use 'continual' when the thing keeps recurring with breaks between each occurrence, such as continual complaints.
What are common collocations with 'continuous'?
'Continuous' often pairs with words like continuous improvement, continuous flow, continuous monitoring, and continuous supply. In each case it stresses that the process runs without any break.
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