continuous

Universal Words adjective 1 happening or existing for a period of time without interruption: Recovery after the accident will be a continuous process that may take several months. * Stop smoking and you will see a continuous improvement in your health. * She was in continuous employment until the age of sixty-five. * The rain has been continuous since this morning. 2 spreading in a line or over an area without any spaces: a continuous line of traffic * Rain was falling outside in a continuous silver curtain. 3 (informal) repeated many times SYNCONTINUAL: For four days the town suffered continuous attacks. HELPNOTE Continual is much more frequent in this meaning. 4 (grammar) = PROGRESSIVE: the continuous tenses continuously adverb: He has lived and worked in France almost continuously since 1961. * the continuously changing situation * Heat the mixture until thickened, stirring continuously. ______________________________ WHICHWORD? continuous / continual These adjectives are frequently used with the following nouns: continuous ~ continual ~ process change employment problems flow updating line questions speech pain supply fear Continuous describes something that continues without stopping. Continual usually describes an action that is repeated again and again. The difference between these two words is now disappearing. In particular, continual can also mean the same as continuous and is used especially about undesirable things: Life was a continual struggle for them. However, continuous is much more frequent in this sense. ______________________________