continually

adverb

con·​tin·​u·​al·​ly kən-ˈtin-yü-ə-lē How to pronounce continually (audio)
-yə-lē
Synonyms of continuallynext
: in a continual manner : without stopping or interruption
a security system that runs continually
We had endured a series of dark, gloomy, winter days, during which the sun had been continually hidden behind dense, rain clouds.—George Thatcher
… I was too thoroughly swept away by this richly imagined and continually surprising novel to be concerned with cute comparisons.—Edan Lepucki
They bickered continually, ignoring me as I worked around them.—Paula Fox
: in a constantly repeated manner : over and over
being interrupted continually
She would write. I would read and edit, and sometimes shift the wordings, or change phrases or delete things. We would continually refine what was written.—Herbie Hancock

Examples of continually in a Sentence

grew up in a time when children were continually being told to mind their manners the computer program continually updates the file with new information
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But the battle against the temptation of price promotions is long and one that has had the industry continually losing ground. — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026 An analyst described the move as “quite boldâ€� under present conditions, but one that might be explained by the smartphone’s unparalleled ability to continually gather user data, allowing AI assistants to become ever-more personalized. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Here, the honey bee achieves the same objective with flexible structures that continually twist and change shape. — Mike McRae 12, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026 Recurring revenue is not something a business wins once; operations must continually earn it. — Adam Povlitz, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for continually

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contynuely, from continuel continual + -ly -ly entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of continually was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Continually.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/continually. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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