continental

1 of 2

adjective

con·​ti·​nen·​tal ˌkän-tə-ˈnen-tᵊl How to pronounce continental (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a continent
continental waters
specifically, often capitalized : of or relating to the continent of Europe excluding the British Isles
b
often capitalized : of, relating to, or being a cuisine derived from the classic dishes of Europe and especially France
2
a
often capitalized : of or relating to the colonies later forming the U.S.
Continental Congress
b
: being the part of the U.S. on the North American continent
also : being the part of the U.S. comprising the lower 48 states
continentally adverb

continental

2 of 2

noun

1
a
often capitalized : an American soldier of the Revolution in the Continental army
b(1)
: a piece of Continental paper currency
(2)
: the least bit
not worth a continental
2
: an inhabitant of a continent and especially the continent of Europe

Examples of continental in a Sentence

Adjective They will be touring Continental Europe. differences between Britain and its Continental neighbors The hotel combines American comfort with continental elegance. Noun complained that today's youth doesn't care a continental about their elders
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
There are continental poles of inaccessibility too—the place on each landmass that is farthest from the sea. Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2024 Most of today’s children are unlikely to live to 100, analysis says Across all the regions examined, the prevalence of diabetes and high cholesterol rose at the same rate while diagnoses of cancer, heart problems and high cholesterol increased the most in England and continental Europe. Rosa Rahimi, CNN, 8 Oct. 2024
Noun
This was the first step in making the United States a continental and, ultimately, global power. Nicolas Berggruen, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2013 The Earth's crust is divided into dozens of plates, some oceanic, some continental, which move on a plastic mantle underneath. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 24 Apr. 2018 See all Example Sentences for continental 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'continental.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

continent entry 1 + -al entry 1

Noun

derivative of continental entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1755, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of continental was in 1755

Dictionary Entries Near continental

Cite this Entry

“Continental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/continental. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

continental

1 of 2 adjective
con·​ti·​nen·​tal ˌkänt-ᵊn-ˈent-ᵊl How to pronounce continental (audio)
1
: of or relating to a continent
continental waters
especially, often capitalized : of or relating to the continent of Europe
2
often capitalized : of or relating to the colonies later forming the U.S.
Continental Congress

continental

2 of 2 noun
1
a
often capitalized : a soldier in the Continental army
b
: a piece of paper money issued by the Continental Congress
2

More from Merriam-Webster on continental

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