Standard Lemma guide

continual

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /kənˈtɪnjuəl/
  • /kənˈtɪnjəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH0 N T IH1 N Y UW0 AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Recurring in steady, rapid succession.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • the continual noise of dogs' barking

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Seemingly continuous; appearing to have no end or interruption.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, proscribed

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Forming a continuous series.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, proscribed

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

occurring without interruption; chiefly restricted to what recurs regularly or frequently in a prolonged and closely spaced series

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the continual banging of the shutters

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: sporadic

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

`continual' (meaning seemingly uninterrupted) is often used interchangeably with `continuous' (meaning without interruption)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English continuel, from Old French continuel, formed from Latin continuus (“continuous”) with the suffix -el, equivalent to continue + -al.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: непрекъснат (neprekǎsnat) — appearing to have no end or interruption
  • Greek: εξακολουθητικός (exakolouthitikós) — appearing to have no end or interruption
  • Irish: gréasach — appearing to have no end or interruption
  • Irish: síoraí — appearing to have no end or interruption
  • Latin: continens — appearing to have no end or interruption
  • Latin: iūgis — appearing to have no end or interruption
  • Māori: hono — appearing to have no end or interruption
  • Russian: непреры́вный (neprerývnyj) — appearing to have no end or interruption
  • Scottish Gaelic: sìor — appearing to have no end or interruption
  • Bulgarian: непрестанен (neprestanen) — recurring in steady, rapid succession
  • Polish: bezustanny — recurring in steady, rapid succession
  • Bulgarian: непрекъснат (neprekǎsnat) — forming a continuous series