continual
adjective
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Since the mid-19th century, many grammarians have drawn a distinction between continual and continuous. Continual should only mean "occurring at regular intervals," they insist, whereas continuous should be used to mean "continuing without interruption." This distinction overlooks the fact that continual is the older word and was used with both meanings for centuries before continuous appeared on the scene. Today, continual is the more likely of the two to mean "recurring," but it also continues to be used, as it has been since the 14th century, with the meaning "continuing without interruption."
Synonyms
Examples of continual in a Sentence
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
Culture has learned a lesson from literature’s most prominent con man: A personality morphs and stabilizes depending on the circumstances, and the most common form of art being performed right now is the continual reinvention of the self.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'continual.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Continual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/continual. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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continual
adjective
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