continuous
/kən'tinjuəs/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Uninterrupted in time, sequence, substance, or extent: Describes something that goes on without stopping, pausing, or breaking.
- Forming an unbroken whole; without interruption: Describes a line, process, or entity that has no gaps, breaks, or intervals.
- Of a function or curve; extending without break or irregularity: In mathematics, describes a function whose graph is an unbroken curve.
Usage Examples
- Describing an unbroken state or action:
- The continuous hum of the air conditioner was soothing.
- They painted a continuous blue line along the wall.
- Describing an uninterrupted time period:
- She has been in continuous employment for twenty years.
- The region suffered from continuous drought for three seasons.
- In technical contexts (Mathematics, Science):
- A continuous function is differentiable at every point in its domain.
- The emission of light results from a continuous rearrangement of electrons.
Advanced Usage
- "Continuous aspect": In grammar, a verb form (e.g., using "be" + "-ing") that expresses an ongoing, incomplete action.
- In "She is reading," the verb "is reading" is in the continuous aspect.
- "Continuous process": In manufacturing or business, a method that operates without interruption.
- The chemical plant uses a continuous process to produce the compound.
- "Continuous improvement": A philosophy of constantly seeking ways to enhance processes or products.
- The company culture is built on the principle of continuous improvement.
Variants and Related Words
- Continuously (adverb): In a continuous manner; without interruption.
- It rained continuously for two days.
- Continuity (noun): The unbroken and consistent existence or operation of something over time.
- The film editor ensured narrative continuity between scenes.
- Continual (adjective): Frequently recurring; always happening. (Note: Often contrasts with "continuous," as "continual" can imply repeated starts and stops, while "continuous" implies no stops).
- Continual interruptions made it hard to work. (Interruptions happen repeatedly but not without any stop.)
- Continuous noise made it hard to work. (The noise did not stop at all.)
Synonyms
- Uninterrupted: Not stopped or blocked.
- Unbroken: Not interrupted or damaged; whole.
- Constant: Occurring continuously over a period of time.
- Incessant: (Especially of something unpleasant) continuing without pause.
- Ceaseless: Without stopping or pausing; constant.
Antonyms
- Intermittent: Occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady.
- Discontinuous: Having intervals or gaps; not continuous.
- Broken: Interrupted; not continuous.
Related Phrases and Collocations
- Continuous monitoring: The ongoing observation of a process or situation.
- The patient is under continuous monitoring in the ICU.
- Continuous stream: A flow of something that does not stop.
- A continuous stream of data came from the sensor.
- Continuous fear: A state of fear that is constant and unrelenting.
- He lived in continuous fear of discovery.
Adjective
- of a function or curve; extending without break or irregularity
- continuing in time or space without interruption
- a continuous rearrangement of electrons in the solar atoms results in the emission of light- James Jeans
- 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