continuously

Everyday

1. Continuously means without stopping or without a break. tree →
2. Continuously means all the time, again and again, over a long period. tree →

In the lessons

In science, a tap dripping continuously wastes water; a machine running continuously never stops. In maths, a car moving «continuously at 60 km/h» keeps the same speed the whole time, so distance = speed × time. In formal language it means without interruption. Phrases: run continuously, continuously changing, continuously improving.

Examples

• It rained continuously for three days. tree →
• The fridge hums continuously. tree →
• The tap dripped continuously all night. tree →
• The heart beats continuously throughout your life. tree →
• A train travels continuously at 80 km/h for 2 hours, so it goes 160 km. tree →
• The baby cried continuously until she fell asleep. tree →
• The weather is continuously changing. tree →

Note

Adverb from «continuous» (no break at all). «Continually» means very often, again and again, with small breaks — a common confusion. In maths, «continuously at a speed» means no stops, so time is not reduced for breaks.