Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To go on with a particular action or in a particular condition; persist.
  • intransitive verb To exist over a period; last.
  • intransitive verb To remain in the same state, capacity, or place.
  • intransitive verb To go on after an interruption; resume.
  • intransitive verb To extend in a given direction.
  • intransitive verb To carry on; persist in.
  • intransitive verb To carry further in time, space, or development; extend.
  • intransitive verb To cause to remain or last; retain or maintain.
  • intransitive verb To carry on after an interruption; resume.
  • intransitive verb Law To postpone or adjourn.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To connect or unite; make continuous.
  • To extend from one point to another; produce or draw out in length: as, continue the line from A to B; let the line be continued to the boundary.
  • To protract or carry on; not to cease from or terminate.
  • To persevere in; not to cease to do or use: as, to continue the same diet.
  • To carry on from the point of suspension; resume the course of; extend in the same course: as, to continue a line of railroad from its present terminus; the story will be continued next week.
  • To suffer or cause to remain as before; retain: as, to continue judges in their posts.
  • To keep enduringly; prolong the state or life of.
  • To go forward or onward in any course or action; proceed: the opposite of cease: as, he continued talking for some minutes more.
  • To persevere; be steadfast or constant in any course.
  • To remain in a state or place; abide or stay indefinitely.
  • To last; be durable; endure; be permanent.
  • Synonyms Sojourn, etc. See abide.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb obsolete To unite; to connect.
  • transitive verb To protract or extend in duration; to preserve or persist in; to cease not.
  • transitive verb To carry onward or extend; to prolong or produce; to add to or draw out in length.
  • transitive verb To retain; to suffer or cause to remain; ; also, to suffer to live.
  • intransitive verb To remain in a given place or condition; to remain in connection with; to abide; to stay.
  • intransitive verb To be permanent or durable; to endure; to last.
  • intransitive verb To be steadfast or constant in any course; to persevere; to abide; to endure; to persist; to keep up or maintain a particular condition, course, or series of actions.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive to proceed with (doing an activity); to prolong (an activity).
  • verb transitive To make last; to prolong.
  • verb transitive To retain (someone) in a given state, position etc.
  • verb intransitive to resume
  • verb poker slang To make a continuation bet.
  • noun video games an option allowing a gamer to resume play after game over, when all lives have been lost.
  • noun video games an option allowing a player to resume a saved game.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb exist over a prolonged period of time
  • verb span an interval of distance, space or time
  • verb move ahead; travel onward in time or space
  • verb continue talking
  • verb continue after an interruption
  • verb do something repeatedly and showing no intention to stop
  • verb allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature
  • verb continue a certain state, condition, or activity
  • verb continue in a place, position, or situation
  • verb keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English continuen, from Old French continuer, from Latin continuāre, from continuus, continuous, from continēre, to hold together; see contain.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle French continuer, from Latin continuare.

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Examples

Comments

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  • “With a whispered wish, I threw it into the very center of the fountain. A jet caught it there and tossed it skyward, so that it flashed for a moment before it fell. I began to read the symbols the water made against the sun.

    A sword. That seemed clear enough. I would continue a torturer.”

    —Gene Wolfe, The Claw of the Conciliator

    October 8, 2010