continue Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb continue a certain state, condition, or activity
    go along; keep; proceed; go on.
    • Keep on working!
    • We continued to work into the night
    • Keep smiling
    • We went on working until well past midnight
  2. verb continue talking
    carry on; proceed; go on.
    • I know it's hard," he continued, "but there is no choice
    • carry on--pretend we are not in the room
  3. verb keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last
    carry on; preserve; bear on; uphold.
    • preserve the peace in the family
    • continue the family tradition
    • Carry on the old traditions
  4. verb move ahead; travel onward in time or space
    go forward; proceed.
    • We proceeded towards Washington
    • She continued in the direction of the hills
    • We are moving ahead in time now
  5. verb allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature
    retain; keep on; keep.
    • We cannot continue several servants any longer
    • She retains a lawyer
    • The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff
    • Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on
    • We kept the work going as long as we could
    • She retained her composure
    • this garment retains its shape even after many washings
  6. verb do something repeatedly and showing no intention to stop
    persist in.
    • We continued our research into the cause of the illness
    • The landlord persists in asking us to move
  7. verb continue after an interruption
    • The demonstration continued after a break for lunch
  8. verb continue in a place, position, or situation
    remain; stay on; stay.
    • After graduation, she stayed on in Cambridge as a student adviser
    • Stay with me, please
    • despite student protests, he remained Dean for another year
    • She continued as deputy mayor for another year
  9. verb span an interval of distance, space or time
    cover; extend.
    • The war extended over five years
    • The period covered the turn of the century
    • My land extends over the hills on the horizon
    • This farm covers some 200 acres
    • The Archipelago continues for another 500 miles
  10. verb exist over a prolonged period of time
    • The bad weather continued for two more weeks

WordNet

Con*tin"ue intransitive verb
Etymology
F. continuer, L. continuare, -tinuatum, to connect, continue, fr. continuus. See Continuous, and cf. Continuate.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Continued ; present participle & verbal noun Continuing
Definitions
  1. To remain ina given place or condition; to remain in connection with; to abide; to stay.
    Here to continue, and build up here A growing empire. Milton.
    They continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat. Matt. xv. 32.
  2. To be permanent or durable; to endure; to last.
    But now thy kingdom shall not continue. 1 Sam. xiii. 14.
  3. 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; as, the army continued to advance.
    If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. John viii. 31.
    Syn. -- To persevere; persist. See Persevere.
Con*tin"ue transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To unite; to connect. Obs.
    the use of the navel is to continue the infant unto the mother. Sir T. browne.
  2. To protract or extend in duration; to preserve or persist in; to cease not.
    O continue thy loving kindness unto them that know thee. Ps. xxxvi. 10.
    You know how to make yourself happy by only continuing such a life as you have been long acustomed to lead. Pope.
  3. To carry onward or extend; to prolong or produce; to add to or draw out in length.
    A bridge of wond'rous length, From hell continued, reaching th' utmost orb of this frall world. Milton.
  4. To retain; to suffer or cause to remain; as, the trustees were continued; also, to suffer to live.
    And how shall we continue Claudio. Shak.

Webster 1913