discontinuous

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌdɪskənˈtɪnjuəs/ UK /ˌdɪskənˈtɪnjuəs/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
having breaks or interruptions; not continuous

The signal was discontinuous, fading in and out throughout the night.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · having breaks or... intermittent broken interrupted disconnected sporadic fragmentary

Opposites

continuous unbroken uninterrupted constant

Word family

Derived forms discontinuouslydiscontinuousness

Related forms discontinue discontinuity continuous continuity

Etymology

From dis- ('not') plus continuous, from Latin continuus ('uninterrupted, joined'), from continere ('to hold together'), from com- ('together') plus tenere ('to hold').

dis- Latin continuus Latin tenere Latin *ten- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# discontinuous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˌdɪskənˈtɪnjuəs
**IPA (UK):** ˌdɪskənˈtɪnjuəs

## Meanings
1. having breaks or interruptions; not continuous

## Examples
- The signal was discontinuous, fading in and out throughout the night.

## Synonyms
- intermittent
- broken
- interrupted
- disconnected
- sporadic
- fragmentary

## Antonyms
- continuous
- unbroken
- uninterrupted
- constant

## Derived Forms
- discontinuously
- discontinuousness

## Related Forms
- discontinue
- discontinuity
- continuous
- continuity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dis-
- Root: continuus
- Root: tenere
- Root: *ten-

## Etymology
From dis- ('not') plus continuous, from Latin continuus ('uninterrupted, joined'), from continere ('to hold together'), from com- ('together') plus tenere ('to hold').

## AI Etymology
Discontinuous comes from dis- ('not') plus continuous, from Latin continuus ('uninterrupted, joined'), from continere ('to hold together'), from com- ('together') plus tenere ('to hold'). The etymological trail includes Latin dis-, Latin continuus, Latin tenere, and Proto-Indo-European *ten-. As an adjective, discontinuous describes what is having breaks or interruptions; not continuous. The same family is visible in derived forms such as discontinuously and discontinuousness and related forms such as discontinue, discontinuity, continuous, and continuity.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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discontinuous

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