Synonym Chooser

How is the word continual different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of continual are constant, continuous, incessant, perennial, and perpetual. While all these words mean "characterized by continued occurrence or recurrence," continual often implies a close prolonged succession or recurrence.

continual showers the whole weekend

In what contexts can constant take the place of continual?

While in some cases nearly identical to continual, constant implies uniform or persistent occurrence or recurrence.

lived in constant pain

When could continuous be used to replace continual?

The meanings of continuous and continual largely overlap; however, continuous usually implies an uninterrupted flow or spatial extension.

football's oldest continuous rivalry

When might incessant be a better fit than continual?

The words incessant and continual are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, incessant implies ceaseless or uninterrupted activity.

annoyed by the incessant quarreling

When is perennial a more appropriate choice than continual?

Although the words perennial and continual have much in common, perennial implies enduring existence often through constant renewal.

a perennial source of controversy

When is it sensible to use perpetual instead of continual?

The synonyms perpetual and continual are sometimes interchangeable, but perpetual suggests unfailing repetition or lasting duration.

a land of perpetual snowfall

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of continual Senator Collins, on behalf of all fisherman (sic) of Maine, thank you for your continual support in preserving our heritage, tradition and economy. Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2025 This is the dubious way Trump calculated his ‘reciprocal’ tariffs They are driven toward continual growth. David Brooks, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025 Consistently share your goals and progress with your employees to model the importance of continual self-development. Barry Marshall, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 The second main approach to continual learning is regularization. Rob Toews, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for continual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for continual
Adjective
  • Their work demonstrates that revolutionary movements are not ruptures but re-awakenings, continuous struggles that recycle and reinterpret the past in pursuit of a freer future.
    Rebecca Ruth Gould, JSTOR Daily, 9 Apr. 2025
  • By fostering a culture of continuous learning, leveraging emerging talent and focusing on transferable skills, organizations can stay competitive and effectively bridge the skills gap in their IT departments.
    Brad Smith, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This type of fungal sinus infection typically requires surgery, followed by medical therapy to prevent recurrent infections.3 Saprophytic Fungal Sinusitis Saprophytic fungal sinusitis (SFS) initially presents without any symptoms.
    Laura Schober, Health, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, a former Fox TV host, loads his X feed with images of himself working out in the gym and meeting with the mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, underscoring his feed’s recurrent theme of politicized hypermasculinity.
    James Poniewozik, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Eyal’s optimism is backed by checks by his firm that indicated continued strength in demand, with CYBR’s effort to expand its platform away from its core privileged access management gaining traction among customers.
    TipRanks.com Staff, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2025
  • The state has also seen a freeze in funding from the USDA for its continued non-compliance.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Dobson says the research is coming now that the power engineering community increasingly recognizes cascading failures as a distinct and recurring problem—a concept that still elicited protests from power engineers in the aftermath of the 2003 blackout.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Aug. 2013
  • The strange makeup of recurring dreams Research has found that most recurring dreams have a negative tone with themes often related to helplessness, failure, or being chased.
    Stacey Colino, TIME, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Officials said overnight enforcement will focus on common and continuing offenses such as commercial vehicles parked in residential areas and permit violations.
    Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 6 Mar. 2025
  • State of the labor market Initial weekly unemployment insurance claims have held in a fairly steady range around 220,000, though continuing claims earlier in November had hit their highest level in about three years.
    Jeff Cox, CNBC, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The theme of a late night escape from the city is the periodic imprint’s entry into choice cuts here from artists including Kenny Burrell, Yusef Lateef and Gene Ammonsd.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Then came sriracha sauce, which first emerged in Thailand during the 1930s and is now so popular here that periodic shortages of the sauce cause panic buying.
    Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In the air, those pings can interfere with cockpit radios, creating an incessant buzzing sound in pilots’ headsets—like a mosquito in your ear.
    Boutayna Chokrane, Wired News, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Shoulder pads are in for fall 2025 and so are other details that read unabashedly, authentically bold instead of being chained to the incessant trend cycle.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The nonstop route to Cancun will take Kansas City passengers to Cancun International Airport on Saturdays only from Dec. 20 through April 12, 2026.
    Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Cape Town is now serviced by three nonstop flights from the U.S. Popular day trips from the city include seeing the bucolic wineries of Stellenbosch, the African penguin colony in Simon’s Town, and the Big Five at Aquila Game Reserve.
    Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Continual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/continual. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

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