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Continual: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Continual adjective. Happening again and again, with breaks in between.
How to say it
kun-TIN-yoo-ul/kənˈtɪnjʊəl/
4 syllables, stressed on the second (TIN).
Continual in a sentence
The continual ping of notifications made it impossible to think.
Despite continual warnings, people kept swimming off the rocks.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- repeated
- recurrent
- frequent
- persistent
Opposite:
- occasional
- rare
Usage note
Continual means repeated with gaps (continual interruptions); continuous means with no break at all (a continuous hum). Careful writers keep the line, though everyday speech blurs it.
Don’t confuse with continuous
continuous (adjective): Going on without any pause or break.
Where continual comes from
From Old French continuel, from Latin continuus, uninterrupted.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Despite _____ warnings, people kept swimming off the rocks.
- continual
- ingenious
- ingenuous
Show the answer
continual: Despite continual warnings, people kept swimming off the rocks.