continental
Americanadjective
-
of or of the nature of a continent.
-
(usually initial capital letter) of or relating to the mainland of Europe, to Europeans, or to European customs and attitudes.
-
(initial capital letter) of or relating to the 13 original American colonies during and immediately after the American Revolution.
-
of or relating to the continent of North America.
noun
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(initial capital letter) a soldier of the Continental Army in the American Revolution.
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a piece of paper currency issued by the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.
-
a small amount.
advice that's not worth a continental.
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an inhabitant of a continent.
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(usually initial capital letter) an inhabitant of the mainland of Europe.
adjective
-
of or characteristic of Europe, excluding the British Isles
-
of or relating to the 13 original British North American colonies during and immediately after the War of American Independence
noun
-
(sometimes not capital) an inhabitant of Europe, excluding the British Isles
-
a regular soldier of the rebel army during the War of American Independence
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history a currency note issued by the Continental Congress
Other Word Forms
- Continentalism noun
- Continentalist noun
- continentally adverb
- noncontinental adjective
- precontinental adjective
Etymology
Origin of continental
Vocabulary lists containing continental
Weather and Climate - Middle School
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Earth Science - Middle School
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Earth Science - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bad Bunny demurred on touring the continental U.S. for fear of ICE raids at his shows, opting for a lengthy residence in his home territory of Puerto Rico instead.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
WTI barrels, by contrast, sit in the continental United States and flow through pipelines to Gulf Cost refineries, said Germini, who’s also publisher of the “Energy Pipeline” newsletter on Substack.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
"Out of the five continental semis in the club's history, I was involved in two. That makes me incredibly proud," the 53-year-old says.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
It is now believed to possess some 50 warheads, and it tests ICBMs that will one day be able to reach the continental U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Agriculture occurred in as much as two-thirds of what is now the continental United States, with large swathes of the Southwest terraced and irrigated.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
