What is the difference between the words "continual" and "continuous"?

Question

I'm having trouble deciding which word to use, and the dictionary's not helping very much.

Answer 1

CONTINUAL means constant, perpetual, ie, thought of as continuing without coming to an end. Example - There were continual interruptions. The noise of hammering was continual. Life is a continual struggle.

CONTINUOUS means connected without a break, but having a definite beginning and end. Example - The rivers were linked with canals to form one continuous waterway. She has never experienced a continuous loving relationship.

Answer 2

Continuous, to me, implies constant, never ending.

Continual means that you are continuing to improve, but it is more incremental. Once you improve, you continue to improve more.

Have you done a search? I think there was a fairly long discussion of this earlier. Continuous Improvement as I have learned it implies that the event occurs in a predictable manner. A continuous beep might be: beep (pause 2 seconds) beep (pause 2 seconds) beep (pause 2 seconds)...onward. It occurs in an established, predictable pattern/rhythm.

Continual improvement implies starts and stops in an unestablished manner. For example: beep (pause 10 seconds) beep (pause 4 seconds) beep (pause 3 seconds) beep (pause 8 seconds). No discernable pattern or rhythm.

Most organizations operate under a Continual Improvment philosophy. I think Craig's comments are appropriate. Organizations improve to some level, pause, and then improve more (hopefully anyway).Continual: constantly or frequently recurring, always happening (broken)

Continuous: uninterupted, connected throughout, in time and space (unbroken)

I still think it is semantics (MHO). Continual has a step incorporated in it that was lacking under continuous....a systematic & planned review process by Top (executive level) management that is to be utilized to determine effectiveness, continuing suitablility, & address the need for change thru the use of the organizations checking mechanism (ie, internal audit) and other information deemed necessary.

Instead of a charted rise you should see something similar to a stairway if improvement is graphed out

Answer 3

con·tin·u·al

Recurring regularly or frequently: the continual need to pay the mortgage.
Not interrupted; steady: continual noise; a continual diet of vegetables.

con·tin·u·ous

Uninterrupted in time, sequence, substance, or extent. See Synonyms at continual.
Attached together in repeated units: a continuous form fed into a printer.

Answer 4

Continual implies an activity that goes on perpetually, like continual complaining. Continuous is more of a reference to a thing, like the Great Wall of China, or a coastline.

Answer 5

The season's change is continual. The river is continuous.

Answer 6

'Continual' means unceasing or very frequent.

'Continuous' means joined together without interruption.

So you could say 'The continual noise from the heavy traffic outside is very disturbing.'

and 'The cinema is showing two films tonight in a continuous performance.'

OK?

Answer 7

The other folks have got it:
continual = over and over
continuous = without stopping

At some point I was given the mnemonic "One Uninterrupted Shift," if that helps at all.

Answer 8

continuous = adjective
continual = adverb

Answer 9

continual means that something happens, stops, happens, stops,...... it is a regular event or happening.
Continuous is where something never stops, it just goes on and on and on and on and on and on ..............

Answer 10

continual is an adjective,