continual

B1 Topic:Time

US /kənˈtɪnjuəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #30778

Meanings

1

adj
Happening again and again over a period of time.

The factory has a history of continual rebuilding after each fire.
2

adj
Seeming to happen without any break or end.

The continual noise from the street kept her awake.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · happening again and again... repeated constant

2 adj · seeming to happen without... unceasing constant

Word family

Derived forms continualitycontinuallycontinualness

Related forms continuance continuation continue continuous continuum

Etymology

From Middle English continuel, from Old French continuel, formed from Latin continuus (“continuous”) with the suffix -el, equivalent to continue + -al.

continuel Middle English continuus Latin

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# continual

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /kənˈtɪnjuəl/
**Frequency rank:** 30778

## Meanings
1. Happening again and again over a period of time.
2. Seeming to happen without any break or end.

## Examples
- The factory has a history of continual rebuilding after each fire.
- The continual noise from the street kept her awake.

## Derived Forms
- continuality
- continually
- continualness

## Related Forms
- continuance
- continuation
- continue
- continuous
- continuum

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: continuel
- Root: continuus

## Etymology
From Middle English continuel, from Old French continuel, formed from Latin continuus (“continuous”) with the suffix -el, equivalent to continue + -al.

## AI Etymology
continual is an adjective. It is from Middle English continuel, from Old French continuel, formed from Latin continuus (“continuous”) with the suffix -el, equivalent to continue + -al. Historical forms in the chain include continuel (Middle English), continuel (Old French), and continuus (Latin). Current senses include happening again and again over a period of time and seeming to happen without any break or end. Derived forms include continuality, continually, and continualness. Related words include continuance, continuation, continue, and continuous.

## Topics
- Time

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continual

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