continental

1. Of or relating to a continent or continents.

   continental drift

   • No former king had involved himself so frequently in the labyrinth of continental alliances.

2. of the mainland, as opposed to an island offshore

   continental Europe

   • 1846 The Parliamentary gazetteer of Ireland (A. Fullarton, Dublin) Vol.1 p.x "Introduction; Extent" ↗ :

     The outline of continental Ireland is proximately that of a rhomboid ; and, in a general view, is greatly more continuous or less indented and undulated by cuts and sweeps of the sea than the outline of continental Great Britain.

3. (chiefly, in the UK) Relating to, or characteristic of, continental Europe

   continental breakfast

   • 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter I, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 731476803 ↗:

     at Monte Carlo or some of the other Continental gambling-hells

4. (US, historical) Of or relating to the confederated colonies collectively, in the time of the Revolutionary War.

   continental money

• (in the main part of a country or region, as opposed to on one of its islands): mainland
• (characteristic of the style of continental Europe) European

• (characteristic of the style of continental Europe): British, English

• French: continental
• German: kontinental
• Italian: continentale
• Portuguese: continental
• Russian: континента́льный
• Spanish: continental

• Portuguese: continental

• Portuguese: continental
• Spanish: continental

continental (plural continentals)

1. Someone from the continent.
2. (US, historical) A member of the Continental army.
3. (US, historical) Paper scrip (paper money) issued by the continental congress, largely worthless by the end of the war.
4. (by extension) The smallest amount; a whit; a jot.

   not worth a continental

   I don't care a continental!

continental (not comparable)

1. Synonym of European#English|European (including insular Europe, such as Britain, Ireland)
   1. (UK) Alternative form of continental, continental European.
      1. (UK) Alternative form of continental (pertaining to the European Union).
2. (historical, US, UK) Pertaining to the colonies of British North America covered by the Continental Congress.

continental (plural continentals)

1. Synonym of European#English|European a denizen of Europe
   1. (UK) A denizen of continental Europe
      1. (UK) A denizen of the European Union
2. (historical, US, UK) A denizen of the colonies of British North America covered by the Continental Congress.