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

"On mainland Scotland people think that's quite odd, but it's a normal thing across continental Europe."

From BBC

Lloyd, a British theater director with continental European ways, receives prominent billing onstage as the production’s credits roll as they would for a movie.

From Los Angeles Times

It was the brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron - launched following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a talking-shop to jointly tackle continental challenges.

From BBC

The extra spending the public seemed to accept since the pandemic will not be rowed back from continental European levels.

From BBC

Business in these operations will fall into either “eastern markets”, which includes the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East, or “western markets”, covering the UK, continental Europe and the Americas.

From BBC

Related Words

• continental
• global
• multicultural