Continuities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A state of being continuous or unbroken over time
2. a relationship or connection between events or concepts that maintains a sense of consistency
3. the idea or characteristic of enduring existence without interruption

Etymology: "Continuities" is the plural of "continuity", so it refers to several distinct instances or strands of an unbroken state rather than the state itself. The singular comes from Middle French "continuité", which was itself taken from the Latin "continuitas", a noun built on "continuus", meaning uninterrupted or joined together. The Latin root reaches back to "continere", to hold together or contain, and the English form is simply the familiar "continue" with the suffix "-ity", which turns an adjective or verb stem into a noun of quality. Its plural use, in which historians or writers speak of several continuities, reflects that a single unbroken state can be traced along different lines at once, such as family, tradition, or institutional practice.

Synonyms: continuations, uninterruptedness, consistencies, perpetuities, flow

Antonyms: discontinuities, breaks, interruptions, gaps, disruptions