Continual Meaning in English

word

US

UK

Definition

Happening again and again over a period of time, sometimes with short breaks in between; not always literally nonstop, but very frequent or repeated.

Usage & Nuances

"Continual" means happening repeatedly, often with pauses (unlike "continuous," which is truly nonstop). Common with issues: 'continual noise', 'continual interruptions'. Learners often confuse 'continual' with 'continuous'. Use 'continual' for things that stop and start again frequently.

• Spanish: continuo - constante (que se repite muchas veces)
• Portuguese (BR): contínuo - constante (que ocorre repetidamente)
• Portuguese (PT): contínuo - constante (que ocorre repetidamente)
• Chinese (Simplified): 持续的 - 一再发生的
• Chinese (Traditional): 持續的 - 一再發生的
• Hindi: लगातार - बार-बार होने वाला
• Arabic: مستمر - متكرر
• Bengali: নিরবচ্ছিন্ন - ক্রমাগত (ছোট বিরতি সহ)
• Russian: постоянный - непрекращающийся (с перерывами)
• Japanese: 絶え間ない - 断続的な
• Vietnamese: liên tục (có ngắt quãng) - dai dẳng
• Korean: 끊임없는 - 반복되는
• Turkish: sürekli (arada kesintiyle) - devamlı
• Urdu: مسلسل - بار بار ہونے والا
• Indonesian: terus-menerus (dengan jeda) - berulang

Example Sentences

We had continual rain all week.

basic

His continual mistakes made the project late.

basic

The dog’s continual barking annoyed the neighbors.

basic

I can’t concentrate because of the continual construction noise outside.

natural

Their continual arguments made it hard to live together.

natural

I get continual notifications on my phone every few minutes.

natural