continental

[ kon-tn-en-tl ]

adjective

1. of or of the nature of a continent.
2. (usually initial capital letter) of or relating to the mainland of Europe, to Europeans, or to European customs and attitudes.
3. (initial capital letter) of or relating to the 13 original American colonies during and immediately after the American Revolution.
4. of or relating to the continent of North America.

noun

1. (initial capital letter) a soldier of the Continental Army in the American Revolution.
2. a piece of paper currency issued by the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.
3. a small amount:

   advice that's not worth a continental.

4. an inhabitant of a continent.
5. (usually initial capital letter) an inhabitant of the mainland of Europe.

Continental

/ ˌkɒntɪˈnɛntəl /

adjective

1. of or characteristic of Europe, excluding the British Isles
2. of or relating to the 13 original British North American colonies during and immediately after the War of American Independence

noun

1. sometimes not capital an inhabitant of Europe, excluding the British Isles
2. a regular soldier of the rebel army during the War of American Independence
3. history a currency note issued by the Continental Congress

Derived Forms

• ˌContiˈnentalˌism, noun
• ˌContiˈnentalist, noun

Other Words From

• conti·nental·ly adverb
• noncon·ti·nental adjective noun
• precon·ti·nental adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of continental¹

First recorded in 1750–60; continent + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Continental Park campus, was recently transformed to include a studio production area to meet Mattel’s creative needs.

From Los Angeles Times

Jones plays Isaac Higgintoot, a member of the American Continental Congress who — appropriately, given his last name — died of dysentery while serving as a captain in the Revolutionary War.

From Los Angeles Times

Rose was recently announced as the captain of Great Britain & Ireland for the Team Cup, with a match against Continental Europe to be staged in Abu Dhabi next month.

From BBC

UW won the Wooden Legacy two years ago and last year took reigning national runner-up, San Diego State, to overtime in the Continental Tire Main Event Championship.

From Seattle Times

If only our decade had a gallant narrative for the history books to counterbalance all of the sleaziness, like when the Continental Army took over airports during the Revolutionary War.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• continental
• global
• multicultural