Standard Lemma guide

continually

adv · 3 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.

  • /kənˈtɪnjuəli/
  • /kənˈtɪnjəli/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH0 N T IH1 N Y UW0 AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: K AH0 N T IH1 N Y UW0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In regular or repeated succession; very often.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Hecklers continually interrupted my speech.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

In a continuous manner; non-stop.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: proscribed, sometimes

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

seemingly without interruption

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • complained continually that there wasn't enough money

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English continual Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English continually From continual + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مرارا (mirāran) — in regular or repeated succession
  • Arabic: مرارا وتكرارا (mirāran wa takrāran) — in regular or repeated succession
  • German: immer wieder — in regular or repeated succession
  • German: immerzu — in regular or repeated succession
  • Polish: bezustannie — in regular or repeated succession
  • Arabic: عمال (ʕammāl) — in a continuous manner
  • Catalan: continuadament — in a continuous manner
  • Esperanto: senĉese — in a continuous manner
  • Finnish: jatkuvasti — in a continuous manner
  • German: ständig — in a continuous manner
  • German: andauernd — in a continuous manner
  • Ancient Greek: συνεχῶς (sunekhôs) — in a continuous manner
  • Hebrew: עוד (od) — in a continuous manner
  • Hungarian: folyamatosan — in a continuous manner
  • Irish: de ghréas — in a continuous manner
  • Japanese: 絶え間なく (taemanaku) — in a continuous manner
  • Latin: iūgiter — in a continuous manner
  • Latin: assiduē — in a continuous manner
  • Khiamniungan Naga: thùolòuhkō — in a continuous manner
  • Norman: continnuellement — in a continuous manner
  • Plautdietsch: eegol — in a continuous manner
  • Portuguese: continuamente — in a continuous manner
  • Russian: непреры́вно (neprerývno) — in a continuous manner
  • Scottish Gaelic: daonnan — in a continuous manner
  • Scottish Gaelic: an còmhnaidh — in a continuous manner
  • Scottish Gaelic: gu sìor — in a continuous manner
  • Spanish: continuadamente — in a continuous manner
  • Spanish: continuamente — in a continuous manner
  • Tamil: தொடர்ந்து (toṭarntu) — in a continuous manner
  • Tocharian B: ṣek — in a continuous manner
  • Walloon: tofer — in a continuous manner
  • Walloon: toltins — in a continuous manner
Real reading context

continually in complete knowledge articles