continually

See also: continuously

English

Etymology

From continual +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kənˈtɪnjuəli/, /kənˈtɪnjəli/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Hyphenation: con‧tin‧u‧al‧ly

Adverb

continually (comparative more continually, superlative most continually)

  1. In regular or repeated succession; very often.
    • 2007, George W. Norton, E. A. Heinrichs, Gregory C. Luther, Globalizing Integrated Pest Management: A Participatory Research Process, page 87:
      Guatemalan snowpea production has continually been harmed by insect and disease infestations.
  2. (sometimes proscribed) In a continuous manner; non-stop.

Usage notes

  • According to Garner's Modern English Usage, continually and continuously mean different things. Continually means that something happens regularly but in discrete bursts ("The municipality continually issued boil-water advisories at a rate of almost once a month"), while continuously means that something is happening at a constant and uninterrupted rate ("The lava has continuously erupted from the volcano for a week; it has not stopped erupting even for one second").
  • Garner offers this mnemonic: imagine that the -ous of continuous stands for "one uninterrupted sequence".

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