Origin: Latin suffix -ous
Continuous has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
continuing in time or space without interruption
"a continuous rearrangement of electrons in the solar atoms results in the emission of light"
"a continuous bout of illness lasting six months"
"lived in continuous fear"
"a continuous row of warehouses"
"a continuous line has no gaps or breaks in it"
"moving midweek holidays to the nearest Monday or Friday allows uninterrupted work weeks"
of a function or curve; extending without break or irregularity
"The smooth, continuous line on the graph indicated that the reaction rate never fluctuated during the experiment."
Without stopping; without a break, cessation, or interruption.
"The rain continued to fall continuously throughout the night, never letting up for even a moment."
In plain English: Continuous means something that happens without any breaks or stops.
"The rain fell continuously for three days straight."
Usage: Use continuous to describe an action or state that proceeds without any pause or interruption, such as rain falling all day long. It emphasizes the unbroken nature of the event rather than just its duration.
The word continuous comes from the Latin term continuus, which originally meant to hold things together. It entered English by replacing the native Old English word singal.