Continual

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /kənˈtɪnjuəl/

Definitions

1. Happening repeatedly over a period of time with breaks or interruptions in between
2. Occurring persistently over time while allowing for intermittent pauses or gaps in the process
3. Taking place regularly and consistently throughout a duration, often with intervals of cessation

Etymology: "Continual" carries a useful distinction that its near-twin "continuous" has lost. Its root is Latin "continuus," meaning "uninterrupted" or "connected," which in turn grew from "continere," to hold together. That sense of unbroken holding-together is the one "continuous" kept. "Continual" went a different way: it came into English from Middle English "continuel," borrowed from Old French, where the Latin root was shaped by the suffix "-el." Through the medieval period, the two forms were used almost interchangeably, so the split in meaning is a later and more deliberate sorting rather than an original difference. The word's modern sense, recurring over time with gaps between episodes, sits in an interesting spot. A "continual" complaint is one that keeps coming back, while a "continuous" one never stops. English speakers have leaned on this difference ever since, even though dictionaries record the two as overlapping, which is why the words are often confused.

Synonyms: constant, perpetual, recurrent

Antonyms: intermittent, occasional, sporadic