con ‧ tin ‧ u ‧ al /kənˈtɪnjuəl/ BrE AmE adjective [only before noun]
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ continual , ↑ continued ≠ DISCONTINUED , ↑ continuous ≠ ↑ discontinuous ; noun : ↑ continuation ≠ ↑ discontinuation , ↑ continuity ≠ ↑ discontinuity ; adverb : ↑ continually , ↑ continuously ; verb : ↑ continue ≠ ↑ discontinue ]
1 . continuing for a long time without stopping SYN constant :
five weeks of continual rain
the Japanese business philosophy of continual improvement
2 . repeated many times, often in a way that is harmful or annoying SYN constant :
She has endured house arrest and continual harassment by the police.
—continually adverb :
We are continually reassessing the situation.
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THESAURUS
▪ continual continuing for a long time without stopping, or happening many times in a way that is annoying or causes problems:
There has been a continual improvement in standards.
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There were continual interruptions all day.
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The couple were having continual arguments and they decided that the best thing to do was to split up.
▪ continuous continuing without stopping:
a continuous process of change
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I've had six continuous hours of meetings.
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The machines have remained in continuous service over the last six years without any problem.
▪ constant used when saying that something does not stop or always stays the same, or that something keeps happening. Constant is often used about things that are worrying, frightening, or difficult:
There is a constant stream of water coming out of the ground.
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The plane was traveling at a constant speed of 650 kilometres an hour.
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The refugees live in constant fear of attack.
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There is always the constant threat of war.
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His illness makes life a constant struggle for him and his parents.
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The photographs are a constant reminder (=something that makes you keep remembering something) of what happened in Bosnia.
▪ uninterrupted [only before noun] continuing for a long time without anything stopping it - used especially when it is important for something to continue:
Women with small babies seldom get more than two or three hours of uninterrupted sleep.
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The nation has enjoyed nine years of uninterrupted economic growth.
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The system helps to maintain an uninterrupted flow of traffic.
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an uninterrupted view of the mountains
▪ non-stop adjective , adverb continuing for a long time without stopping – used especially about rain, journeys, work, or entertainment:
two days of nonstop rain
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a nonstop flight to Tokyo
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The concert will be seven hours of non-stop entertainment.
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They worked non-stop.
▪ on-going if work or a situation is on-going, it will continue into the future, though there will be pauses in it:
The police said the investigation is on-going.
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ongoing negotiations
▪ solid [only before noun] used when emphasizing that you do something all through a period of time, with no breaks at all:
After eight solid hours of driving, I was exhausted.
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It took two solid weeks of work to fix the tunnel.