continent

A2 Topic:Places & Geography

US /ˈkɑntɪnənt/ UK /ˈkɒntɪnənt/ See IPA manual

Freq #6964

Meanings

1

noun
One of the large landmasses of the earth, such as Africa or Asia.

There are seven continents on Earth.
2

adj
Able to control your physical needs or desires, especially sexual ones.

He led a strict and continent life.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · one of the large landmasses... landmassmainland

2 adj · able to control your... self-restrainedtemperate

Opposites

incontinent

Word family

Forms continents

Derived forms archicontinentcontinentalcontinentlikecontinentlycontinentnesscontinentwidecoontinentcuntinentmicrocontinentmidcontinentpalaeocontinentpaleocontinent

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

polar continent
a continent situated around one of the Earth's poles

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Continent, in its geographical sense, entered English in the mid-16th century from the Latin phrase terra continens, meaning “continuous land.” Continue comes from the same Latin root.

Etymology

From Middle English contynent, from Old French continent, from Latin continentem (“continuous; holding together”), present participle of continēre (“to contain”).

contynent Middle English continent Old French continentem Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Places & Geography

External links

# continent

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈkɑntɪnənt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkɒntɪnənt/
**Frequency rank:** 6964

## Meanings
1. One of the large landmasses of the earth, such as Africa or Asia.
2. Able to control your physical needs or desires, especially sexual ones.

## Examples
- There are seven continents on Earth.
- He led a strict and continent life.

## Antonyms
- incontinent

## Derived Forms
- archicontinent
- continental
- continentlike
- continently
- continentness
- continentwide
- coontinent
- cuntinent
- microcontinent
- midcontinent
- palaeocontinent
- paleocontinent

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: contynent
- Root: continent
- Root: continentem

## Etymology
From Middle English contynent, from Old French continent, from Latin continentem (“continuous; holding together”), present participle of continēre (“to contain”).

## AI Etymology
continent is a noun and adjective. It is from Middle English contynent, from Old French continent, from Latin continentem (“continuous; holding together”), present participle of continēre (“to contain”). Historical forms in the chain include contynent (Middle English), continent (Old French), and continentem (Latin). Current senses include one of the large landmasses of the earth, such as Africa or Asia and able to control your physical needs or desires, especially sexual ones. Derived forms include archicontinent, continental, continentlike, continently, and continentness.

## Topics
- Places & Geography

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