Tra từ continuous - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

con·tinu·ous BrE [kənˈtɪnjuəs] NAmE [kənˈtɪnjuəs] adjective
1. happening or existing for a period of time without interruption
• Recovery after the accident will be a continuous process that may take several months.
• Stop smoking and you will see a continuous improvement in your health.
•She was in continuous employment until the age of sixty-five.
•The rain has been continuous since this morning.
2. spreading in a line or over an area without any spaces
•a continuous line of traffic
• Rain was falling outside in a continuous silver curtain.
3. (informal)repeated many times
Syn: ↑continual
• For four days the town suffered continuous attacks. Continual is much more frequent in this meaning.
4. (grammar) = ↑progressive
•the continuous tenses
Derived Word: ↑continuously

Word Origin:
mid 17th cent.: from Latin continuus ‘uninterrupted’, from continere ‘hang together’ (from con- ‘together with’ + tenere ‘hold’) + ↑-ous.

Thesaurus:
continuous [continuous continuously] adj.
1.
•It was a week of almost continuous sunshine.
continual • • unbroken • • uninterrupted • • endless • • perpetual • • never-ending • • persistent • • round-the-clock • • non-stop • |disapproving relentless • • incessant •
Opp: intermittent
a/an continuous/uninterrupted/endless/never-ending/relentless/incessant flow of sth
a/an continuous/unbroken/uninterrupted/endless/never-ending succession/series
(a/an) continuous/continual/relentless/endless/never-ending struggle
Continuous or continual? Continuous is more frequent and has a wider range of uses than continual. Continual is used especially to describe states of mind or body; collocates include state, fear, pain and delight.
2.
•The soldiers suffered continuous attacks.
continual • • constant • • persistent • • frequent • • regular • • habitual • |especially written perpetual •
continuous/continual/constant/persistent/frequent/regular/habitual use/attacks
a continuous/continual/constant/persistent/frequent/perpetual problem
a continuous/continual/constant/frequent/perpetual source of sth
Which word? Persistent is often used to talk about medical problems or problems in society; perpetual is used to talk about annoying personal habits. Continuous and continual are used more in spoken English and less formal contexts.

Synonyms:
continuous / continual
These adjectives are frequently used with the following nouns:

Continuous describes something that continues without stopping.
Continual usually describes an action that is repeated again and again.
The difference between these two words is now disappearing. In particular, continual can also mean the same as continuous and is used especially about undesirable things: ▪ Life was a continual struggle for them. However, continuous is much more frequent in this sense.

Example Bank:
•Awards are based on continuous assessment of course work as well as a final examination.
•Do the exercise in one continuous flowing motion.
•Experiments were conducted in the continuous daylight of the Arctic summer.
•He watched television as if it was one continuous programme.
•I could hear a faint continuous noise.
•It was a week of almost continuous sunshine.
•It was the longest period of continuous growth in the company's history.
•Progress in learning a language is continuous but uneven.
•She retired after 25 years' continuous service with the company.
•The company said the reasons for closure were poor margins and continuous losses.
•The soldiers suffered continuous attacks for four days.
•The woollen mill has been in continuous production since the 18th century.
•These policies are vital for continuous improvement in economic performance.
•You need to have been in continuous employment for at least two years.
•a persistent/perpetual/continual/continuous problem