English
continue
Etymology

From Middle English continuen, from Old French continuer, from Latin continuāre.

Pronunciation
  • enPR: kən-tĭnʹyo͞o, IPA: /kənˈtɪnjuː/, /-(j)ɪu̯/
Verb

continue (continues, present participle continuing; simple past and past participle continued)

  1. (transitive) To proceed with ; to prolong .
    Shall I continue speaking, or will you just interrupt me again?
    Do you want me to continue to unload these?
    • 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page vii:
      Firstly, I continue to base most species treatments on personally collected material, rather than on herbarium plants.
  2. (transitive) To make last; to prolong.
    • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC ↗, partition 1:
      , New York, 2001, p.74:
      Can you account him wise or discreet that would willingly have his health, and yet will do nothing that should procure or continue it?
    • 1905, E. M. Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread , chapter 4:
      Gino was distracted. She knew why; he wanted a son. He could talk and think of nothing else. His one desire was to become the father of a man like himself, and it held him with a grip he only partially understood, for it was the first great desire, the first great passion of his life. Falling in love was a mere physical triviality, like warm sun or cool water, beside this divine hope of immortality: "I continue."
  3. (transitive) To retain in a given state, position, etc.
    • 1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC ↗:
      […] dip the mouth of it within the second glass and remove your finger; continue it in that posture for a time, and it will unmingle the wine from the water […]
    • 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 257:
      The schools were very much the brainchild of Bertin, and although the latter was ousted from the post of Controller-General by Choiseul in 1763, he was continued by the king as a fifth secretary of state […].
  4. (intransitive, copulative sense obsolete) To remain in a given place or condition; to remain in connection with; to abide; to stay.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗:
      Here to continue, and build up here / A growing empire.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Matthew xv:32 ↗:
      They continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC ↗:
      He then passed by the fellow, who still continued in the posture in which he fell, and entered the room where Northerton, as he had heard, was confined.
  5. (intransitive) To resume.
    When will the concert continue?
  6. (transitive, law) To adjourn, prorogue, put off.
    This meeting has been continued to the thirteenth of July.
  7. (poker slang) To make a continuation bet.
Synonyms Antonyms Translations Translations Noun

continue (plural continues)

  1. (video games) An option allowing the player to resume play after game over, when all life have been lost, while retaining their progress.


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