noun
continuum
kuhn-TIHN-yoo-uhm
noun
1
A continuous range or scale in which nearby points are barely different, but the far ends are very different from each other.
"Political opinion exists on a continuum from far left to far right."
"Sleep quality can be thought of as a continuum from deep sleep to full wakefulness."
2
In mathematics, the set of all real numbers, or any similarly unbroken space.
"Mathematicians study whether infinities between the integers and the continuum exist."
How to Use Continuum
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA smooth, unbroken range where things blend gradually into each other rather than falling into separate boxes.
Common pairings
a continuum of
on a continuum
space-time continuum
Word Forms
continuums plural, continua plural
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Political opinion exists on a _____ from far left to far right.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin continuum, the neuter form of continuus, from continere ("to hold together, contain").