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# continual

«continual» in Mova's school dictionary: **happening again and again, often in an annoying way, with…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adjective (continual; more continual — rare)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Continual means happening again and again, often in an annoying way, with short breaks in between. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/continual/#m1)

2) Continual can also mean going on all the time without stopping, though «continuous» is the better word for that. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/continual/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In stories, continual tells the reader that something keeps happening and is often tiresome: «continual interruptions», «continual complaints». In science, careful writers use «continuous» for something that never stops, like a continuous line or a continuous flow, and «continual» for something that repeats. Common phrases: «continual noise», «continual interruptions», «continual rain», «a continual worry».

### examples

- The teacher was tired of the continual chatter at the back of the class. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/continual/#x1)
- My little brother's continual questions drove me mad on the long car trip. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/continual/#x2)
- There was continual rain all week in Ireland. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/continual/#x3)
- The puppy needs continual attention while it is small. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/continual/#x4)
- Continual practice made her a good swimmer. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/continual/#x5)
- The old car had continual problems with its engine. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/continual/#x6)
- Their continual arguing spoiled the picnic. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/continual/#x7)
- The heavens were lighted up with continual flashes, and peal after peal of thunder rolled. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/continual/#x8)

### note

The adverb is «continually». Trap: «continual» = again and again with breaks (the phone rang continually); «continuous» = without any break at all (a continuous line, continuous noise of a fridge). Many people mix them up, and in everyday talk this is accepted, but in tests choose «continuous» for no breaks.

### In the corpora

- [This is the burnt-offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt-offering, and the drink-offering thereof.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/NUM.1016/)
- [Ye shall offer these beside the burnt-offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt-offering.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/NUM.1030/)
- [All the days of the poor are evil; but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PRO.425/)
- [A foolish son is the calamity of his father; and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PRO.542/)
- [A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike;](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/PRO.792/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «continual» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/continual/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.