con·tin·u·al / kənˈtinyoōəl/ • adj. frequently recurring; always happening: his plane went down after continual attacks. ∎  having no interruptions: some patients need continual safeguarding.DERIVATIVES: con·tin·u·al·ly adv.

continual XIV. — (O)F. continuel, f. continuer; see below and -AL 1.
So continuous uninterrupted in space or time. XVII. f. L. continuus. continuity XV. continue carry on, persist, last. XIV. — (O)F. continuer — L. continuāre, f. continuus uninterrupted, f. continēre in its intr. sense of ‘hang together’ (cf. CONTINENT). continuance XIV. continuation †persistency XIV; prolongation XV. continuum XVII. — L., n. sg. of continuus.