different between continual vs continuity

English

Alternative forms

• continuall (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English continuel, from Old French continuel, formed from Latin continuus (“continuous”) with the suffix -el.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k?n?t?nju?l/, /k?n?t?nj?l/
• Hyphenation: con?tin?u?al, con?tin?ual

Adjective

continual (not comparable)

1. Recurring in steady, rapid succession.
2. (proscribed) Seemingly continuous; appearing to have no end or interruption.
3. (proscribed) Forming a continuous series.

Usage notes

In careful usage, continual refers to repeated actions “continual objections”, while continuous refers to uninterrupted actions or objects “continuous flow”, “played music continuously from dusk to dawn”. However, this distinction is not observed in informal usage, a noted example being the magic spell name “continual light” (unbroken light), in the game Dungeons & Dragons.

Related terms

• continuance
• continuation
• continue
• continuous
• continuum

Translations

References

Further reading

• continual in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• continual in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• inoculant

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French continuité, from Latin continuitas.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?nt??nju??ti/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?k?nt??n(j)u??ti/

Noun

continuity (countable and uncountable, plural continuities)

1. Lack of interruption or disconnection; the quality of being continuous in space or time.

   Considerable continuity of attention is needed to read German philosophy.

2. (uncountable, mathematics) A characteristic property of a continuous function.
3. (narratology) A narrative device in episodic fiction where previous and/or future events in a series of stories are accounted for in present stories.
4. (uncountable, film) Consistency between multiple shots depicting the same scene but possibly filmed on different occasions.
5. (uncountable, radio, television) The announcements and messages inserted by the broadcaster between programmes.

Synonyms

• (lack of interruption): See also Thesaurus:continuity

Antonyms

• (lack of interruption): discontinuity; see also Thesaurus:discontinuity

Derived terms

• continuity announcer
• discontinuity
• sequential continuity
• uniform continuity

Related terms

• continue
• continual
• continuousness

Translations