/ ˌkɒntɪˈnentl; NAmE ˌkɑːn-/ adjective , noun
■ adjective
1.
(also Continental ) [ only before noun ] ( BrE ) of or in the continent of Europe, not including Britain and Ireland :
a popular continental holiday resort
Britain's continental neighbours
2.
( BrE ) following the customs of countries in western and southern Europe :
a continental lifestyle
The shutters and the balconies make the street look almost continental.
3.
[ only before noun ] connected with the main part of the N American continent :
Prices are often higher in Hawaii than in the continental United States.
4.
forming part of, or typical of, any of the seven main land masses of the earth :
continental Antarctica / Asia / Europe
to study continental geography
■ noun
( BrE , old-fashioned , often disapproving ) a person who lives in the continent of Europe :
The continentals have never understood our preference for warm beer.