Have you ever wondered what the difference is between continuous and continual? And what about ‘continued’ and ‘continuing’? All of these adjectives have their roots in the Latin word continuāre, meaning “to join together or connect”, and refer to something that recurs frequently or never ceases.
However, there are distinctions to be aware of if you want to be sure you are using these words correctly.
Here we will take a look at continuous vs continual; the difference in meaning and some example sentences showing how they are used in common phrases like ‘continuous learning’ and ‘continual improvement’.
We will also cover continually vs continuously (the adverb forms of continual and continuous).
Do be aware that although linguists draw these distinctions between the words, in reality, many people don’t realize the nuance so use them interchangeably.
What’s the difference between continuous vs continual?
In deciding whether to use continuous or continual, first think about the action, state, or thing that you are describing. Is it:
a) Something that happens, occurs, or exists without interruption; incessantly? This is continuous.
b) Something that happens frequently, at regular intervals, but with interruptions? This is continual.
This is a general guide as to when to use continual vs continuous, but there are a couple more considerations, so let’s look at each word in more detail.
Continuous: Uninterrupted, incessant
We use ‘continuous’ to describe a state or action that continues over a period of time without stopping. Synonyms of ‘continuous’ include:
- Uninterrupted
- Ceaseless
- Constant
- Unbroken
- Incessant (implying annoying repetition)
- Perpetual (emphasizing steadiness and duration)
- Eternal (implying no beginning or end)
See also: What’s the difference between imply and infer?
Here are some example sentences using continuous:
- We’ve had continuous rain for five days. (It hasn’t stopped raining at all during this time.)
- I can’t concentrate in my office with the continuous sound of traffic outside. (It is a busy road with the constant sound of traffic.)
- The human brain needs a continuous supply of oxygen in order to function. (The supply must not be broken.)
Additionally, if talking about something that continues from one physical point to another, rather than from one moment in time to another, always use ‘continuous’. For example:
- Please draw a continuous line from point A to point B.
- The coastline of the island is a continuous sandy beach.
Continual: Intermittent, recurring
We use ‘continual’ to describe a state or action that happens or occurs over a period of time, but with interruptions or breaks. Synonyms of ‘continual’ include:
- Recurring
- Repeating
- Intermittent
- Chronic (in the case of recurring problems or ailments)
Learn about the difference between recurring and reoccurring here.
Here are some example sentences using continual:
- We’ve had continual rain for five days. (There have been some breaks in the rain)
- I’m sick of my neighbor’s baby’s continual crying. (The crying stops occasionally.)
- Our cats are a continual source of entertainment at home. (They regularly entertain us.)
- Our company is striving to make continual improvements to service over the coming year. (The improvements will come at regular intervals.)
As mentioned earlier, many people do not make this distinction between continuous and continual in everyday usage, so you may hear the words used interchangeably. People might also choose to use a word figuratively to add emphasis, for example referring to a baby’s “incessant crying” even though it is not technically unbroken.
If you wish to clearly emphasize one meaning or the other, try using ‘uninterrupted’ or ‘intermittent’ instead.
Continually vs continuously
The adverbs continually and continuously follow the same distinction as the adjectives continual and continuous.
If a state or action occurs over a period of time without being paused or interrupted, it happens continuously.
If a state or action occurs repeatedly, or with interruptions, it happens continually.
- Amazingly, she managed to run continuously for five hours.
- The machine operates continuously.
- I didn’t sleep well last night because there was a dog barking continually on the street outside.
- My grandfather used to continually praise me for my good grades in school.
Read more about using ‘used to do’ for something that happened in the past in our separate guide.
Continuous vs continual vs continued vs continuing
We can also use the adjectives ‘continued’ and ‘continuing’ to describe things that keep happening or remain in the same state for a long period of time.
‘Continuing‘ generally describes something that began in the past and is expected or hoped to continue for a long time into the future; perhaps indefinitely or for a greater-than-average duration.
- We would like to reward our staff for their continuing loyalty.
- Let’s raise a toast to Kelly’s continuing success.
- I would like to make a donation to show my continuing appreciation for the work of the orphanage.
‘Continued‘ refers to the past: either something that continued for a period in the past and has now ceased, or something that has happened continually up to now, and may or may not continue into the future.
- The continued efforts of the team made the project a success.
- Their continued involvement in the company may be coming to an end.
- We couldn’t have got this far without your continued support.
Common examples of continual and continuous in a sentence
Finally, we have some examples of common phrases that use continuous or continual.
Continual vs continuous improvement
Both ‘continual improvement’ and ‘continuous improvement’ are correct, but they have slightly different meanings. Although both speak of a sustained effort to make improvements, ‘continual improvement’ suggests an incremental, stop-start approach, whereas ‘continuous improvement’ suggests a steady, uninterrupted approach.
Is it continual or continuous learning?
Although ‘continual learning’ is more technically correct (assuming the learning process will be paused or interrupted at some point), both phrases are used to refer to the idea of lifelong learning; always striving to gain new knowledge.
On a continual or continuous basis?
If something happens on a continuous basis, it continues without stopping. If something happens on a continual basis, it occurs regularly or intermittently but with pauses or breaks in between occurrences.
Continuous and continual: Conclusion
We have taken a thorough look at the definitions and uses of continuous and continual, but remember that not everybody follows these rules, especially in casual situations.
In formal contexts, though, it is very helpful to know whether continual or continuous is the correct word to use. We hope this article has helped you understand the difference.
Now, why not browse some more commonly confused words?
