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continual

continual

39 3.5
Happening again and again with short breaks
  • adjective
  • /kənˈtɪn.ju.əl/
: continuo
  • More striking than the slow development of individual parcels was the continual alteration of existing houses.
  • continual improvement
  • continual progress
  • continual growth

And it's, it's continual conflict that was going on.

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Examples

  • Christianity would certainly agree on the continual need to change society for the better.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Your garden should have continual care.

  • People in the state of nature may have regular and continual contact with one another.

  • And I feel like the strength in that is just that continual push that we give to ourselves.

  • You want continual challenges for yourself.

  • This keeps the government, and, as such, the people, in a continual state of debt.

  • The purpose of the audit is to increase productivity over time through continual improvement practices.

    Academic text (1992)
  • And that challenge comes from the continual transformations of daily life by developments in science and technology.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Like human beings, stars are born, grow old, and die in a continual process of creation and dissolution.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The project requires continual attention to ensure its success.

Synonyms

constant
vscontinual
525 2.5

Happens all the time without stopping

is about repeated events separated by short pauses rather than steady unchanging state
frequent
vscontinual
234 1.0

Happening often or many times

is repeated with only very short pauses between each occurrence
continuing
vscontinual
209 2.8

Happening over a long time and not finished

is concerned with many repeats separated by short pauses, not one uninterrupted state
persistent
vscontinual
95 4.9

Lasting for a long time and not stopping easily

is about repeated events with short pauses, not unrelenting continuation
recurring
vscontinual
75 3.3

Happens again and again over time

is about many repeats with only brief pauses between each appearance
periodic
vscontinual
45 3.9

Happens again at regular times

is about repeated events with only brief pauses rather than predictable timing
perennial
vscontinual
30 5.3

Continuing for a long time and often returning

is about repeated occurrences with only short gaps, not long unbroken presence
incessant
vscontinual
29 6.3

Happening all the time without stopping

is about many repeats with only brief pauses rather than nonstop action
recurrent
vscontinual
14 4.7

Happening again and again, often at regular times

is focused on repeated events with only short breaks between them
periodical
vscontinual
3 4.4

Happening at regular times

is used for many repeats with only short pauses rather than fixed schedules

Antonyms

36 6.5

Happening sometimes but not all the time

34 7.0

Happening sometimes and in different places

How Frequent

incessant
29 6.3
continual
39 3.5
frequent
234 1.0
occasional
257 2.8
sporadic
34 7.0

Surface Forms

continual positive
continualer comparative
continualest superlative

Morphology

continual = continue (semi-transparent) = continue + al

The adjective is formed from the verb 'continue' with the suffix '-al', but the sense 'repeatedly with short breaks' differs from the uninterrupted sense 'continuous' and may be confusing for learners.

Etymology

Continual comes from the same root as continue and the Latin parts con- ('together') and tenere ('to hold'), so it originally meant to 'hold on' or keep going. That's why continual describes things that keep happening again and again, often with short breaks between them.