LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

continuus

continuus (feminine continua, neuter continuum, adverb continuō)
Classical[kɔnˈtɪ.nu.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[konˈtiː.nu.us]

Meaning

  1. adjectivecontinuous, uninterrupted, successive, lasting
  2. adjectivetemporalstraight, in a row, whole
    Biennio continuo post adeptum imperiumFor two whole years after assuming power
  3. adjectivetemporalfollowing one after another, successive, succeeding, continuous; i.e. the next [day], the following
    continuāque diē sīdus Hyantis erit… and on the next day, the asterism of Hyas will be [seen]. (See: Hyas; Hyades.)8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 5.734
    continuā Delphīn nocte videndus eritOn the following night, the Dolphin will be visible. (See: Delphinus.)8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 6.720

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Continuus · Perpetuus · Sempiternus · Æternus

1. Continuum means that which hangs together without break or chasm; perpetuum, that which arrives at an end, without breaking off before. Suet Cæs. 76. Continuos consulatus, perpetuam dictaturam. 2. Perpetuus, sempiternus, and æternus, denote continued duration; but perpetuus, relatively, with reference to a definite end, that of life for example; sempiternus and æternus, absolutely, with reference to the end of time in general; sempiternus means, like ἀΐδιος, the everlasting, what lasts as long as time itself, and keeps pace with time; æternum (from ætas) like αἰώνιον, the eternal, that which outlasts all time, and will be measured by ages, for Tempus est pars quædam æternitatis. The sublime thought of that which is without beginning and end, lies only in æternus, not in sempiternus, for the latter word rather suggests the long duration between beginning and end, without noting that eternity has neither beginning nor end. Sempiternus involves the mathematical, æternus the metaphysical notion of eternity. Cic. Orat. ii. 40, 169. Barbarorum est in diem vivere; nostra consilia sempiternum tempus spectare debent; compare with Fin. i. 6, 17. Motum atomorum nullo a principio, sed æterno tempore intelligi convenire. (i. 1.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativecontinuuscontinuacontinuum
genitivecontinuīcontinuaecontinuī
dativecontinuōcontinuaecontinuō
accusativecontinuumcontinuamcontinuum
ablativecontinuōcontinuācontinuō
vocativecontinuecontinuacontinuum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativecontinuīcontinuaecontinua
genitivecontinuōrumcontinuārumcontinuōrum
dativecontinuīscontinuīscontinuīs
accusativecontinuōscontinuāscontinua
ablativecontinuīscontinuīscontinuīs
vocativecontinuīcontinuaecontinua

contĭnŭus, a, um, adj. contineo, II.,
I. joining, connecting with something, or hanging together, in space or time, uninterrupted, continuous.
I. Of space (so mostly Aug. and post-Aug.; cf., however, continue); with dat. or absol.
A. Lit.: aër continuus terrae est, Sen. Q. N. 2, 6, 1: Leucada continuam veteres habuere coloni; nunc freta circuëunt, joined to the mainland, Ov. M. 15, 289: ignis proxima quaeque et deinceps continua amplexus, Liv. 30, 5, 7; 30, 6, 5: montes, * Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 5; Plin. 6, 30, 35, § 189: agri, Suet. Caes. 38: fluere continuo alveo (Euphraten), Plin. 6, 26, 30, § 124; cf.: Rhenus uno alveo continuus, Tac. A. 2, 6: mare, id. Agr. 10 fin.: aliqui vice dentium continuo osse gignuntur, Plin. 7, 16, 15, § 69: omnia continua et paria, Plin. Pan. 51, 4: serpens, Stat. Th. 5, 517.—
b. Subst.: contĭnŭus, i, m., he who is always about one, an attendant: Cocceius Nerva, continuus principis, Tac. A. 6, 26 (32) Halm, Draeg. ad loc. (Nipperd. and Ritter, principi).—
B. Tron., of rhet. matters (most freq. in Quint.): cum fluxerunt plures continuae translationes (the figure derived from an uninterrupted, flowing stream; v. the preced.), Cic. Or. 27, 94: expositio (opp. partita), Quint. 7, 10, 11: loci, id. 11, 3, 84: lumina, id. 12, 10, 46: ab exordio usque ad ultimam vocem continuus quidam gemitus, id. 11, 1, 54: oratio, id. 6, 1, 46; 6, 4, 1 et saep.: adfectus, id. 6, 2, 10: impetus, id. 10 7, 14 et saep.—
II. Of time and objects relating to it, following one after another, successive, continuous (class. in all periods and species of composition): auferet ex oculis veniens Aurora Boöten; continuāque die sidus Hyantis erit, the next day, Ov. F. 5, 734; so, continuā nocte, the following night, id. ib. 6, 720: triduum continuum, dies decem continuos, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 146 sq.: dies quinque ex eo die, Caes. B. G. 1, 48: annos prope quinquaginta, Cic. Verr. 1, 13, 38: duabus noctibus, Suet. Aug. 94: secutae sunt continuos complures dies tempestates, Caes. B. G. 4, 34 Oud. N. cr. prioribus diebus, Liv. 42, 58, 3: aliquot an nos continuos, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 18, 54: tot dies, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 36, § 94: triennium, Plaut. Stich. 1, 3, 61; Suet. Calig. 7: biennio, id. Tib. 38: bella, Liv. 10, 31, 10; cf.: cursus proeliorum, Tac. Agr. 27: consulatus, Suet. Caes. 76; Plin. Pan. 58: itinera, Lepid. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 34, 1: regna, Liv. 1, 47, 6: duo tri umphi ex Hispaniā acti, id. 41, 7, 1: labor, Quint. 1, 3, 8: amor, Prop. 1, 20, 1: incom moda, Caes. B. G. 7, 14: messe senescit ager; Ov. A. A. 3, 82: eos (patricios) ab Atto Clauso continuos duravisse, Tac. A. 12, 25 fin. et saep.—With abl. resp.: continuus inde et saevus accusandis reis Suilius, incessant, Tac. A. 11, 5; cf.: postulandis reis tam continuus annus fuit, incessantly occupied, id. ib. 4, 36.—Hence the advv.,
1. contĭ-nŭē, continuously, without interruption; in space or time (very rare, perh. only anteand post-class. for continenter, assidue): * flumen quod fluit continue, Varr. L. L. 5, § 27 Müll.: protinus jugiter et continue, Non. p. 376, 26.—
2. contĭnŭō.
A. To designate an act that in time immediately follows something, immediately, forthwith, directly, without delay, = statim, αὐτίκα (very freq. in all periods and kinds of composition).
1. In gen.
(a). Corresp. with the particles of time: ubi, ut, postquam, cum, etc.; with ubi: ubi primum terram tetigimus, Continuo, etc., Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 49; so id. Cist. 2, 3, 35; Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 51 al.—With ut, etc.: quae ut aspexi, me continuo contuli, etc., Plaut. Bacch. 3, 1, 7; so, iste continuo ut vidit, non dubitavit, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 22, § 48: ut quisque insanus ... latum demisit pectore clavum, Audit continuo, etc., Hor. S. 1, 6, 29: nam postquam audivi ... cominuo argentum dedi, Ut emeretur, Plaut. Ep. 4, 1, 37: cum te summis laudibus ad caelum extulerunt, mihi continuo maximas gratias agant, Cic. Fam. 9, 14, 1; 10, 12, 2: ut vel continuo patuit, cum, etc., Hor. S. 2, 8, 29: ne mora sit, si innuerim, quin pugnus continuo in malā haereat, Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 17: si quid narrare occepi, continuo dari Tibi verba censes, forthwith you think, etc., id. And. 3, 2, 24; cf. id. Eun. 1, 2, 24; Lucr. 2, 1091; Hor. S. 2, 3, 160: continuo consilium dimisit (Q. Maximus), simulac me fractum ac debilitatum metu viderit, Cic. de Or. 1, 26, 121.—
(b). Absol.: continuo, ventis surgentibus, aut freta ponti Incipiunt agitata tumescere, etc., Verg. G. 1, 356: continuo hic ero, Plaut. Ep. 3, 3, 43: haud mora; continuo matris praecepta facessit, Verg. G. 4, 548; so Ov. M. 14, 362; cf. Quint. 12, 3, 3; corresp. with statim, Cic. Rosc. Com. 6, 17: quod lubet, non lubet jam id continuo, the next moment, immediately, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 10: hos prius intro ducam et quae volo Simul inperabo: poste continuo exeo, Ter. Eun. 3, 2, 40: hanc mihi in manum dat; mors continuo ipsam occupat, id. And. 1, 5, 62: hercle ego te barbā continuo arripiam, et in ignem coniciam, Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 64: egomet continuo mecum; certe captus est! I immediately thought within myself, Ter. And. 1, 1, 55: senatus est continuo convocatus, Cic. Fam. 10, 12, 3: hos continuo in itinere adorti, Caes. B. G. 7, 42 fin.: subitae necessitates continuo agendi, on the spot, immediately, Quint. 10, 7, 2 et saep.: perturbationes, amplificatae certe, pestiferae sunt; igitur etiam susceptae continuo in magnā pestis parte versantur, even immediately on their inception, Cic. Tusc. 4, 18, 42; cf. id. Fin. 3, 9, 32.—
2. Of a point of time closely following a time named, speedily, without interval: deinde absens factus aedilis, continuo praetor, Cic. Ac. 2, 1, 1: qui summam spem civium, quam de eo jam puero habuerant, continuo adulescens incredibili virtute superavit, id. Lael. 3, 11.—
3. Esp., with the statement of a logical consequence from a fact; only in connection with a negative, or a question implying a negative, not by consequence, not necessarily, not as an immediate consequence, in questions; perhaps then? perhaps therefore? (very freq. in Cic.); with si: non continuo, si me in gregem sicariorum contuli, sum sicarius, Cic. Rosc. Am. 33, 94; so id. de Or. 2, 48, 199; Gai Inst. 2, 204.—With cum, Manil. 2, 345. —Absol.: cum nec omnes, qui curari se passi sunt, continuo etiam convalescant, Cic. Tusc. 3, 3, 5; so, ego summum dolorem ... non continuo dico esse brevem, id. ib. 2, 19, 45: aeque enim contingit omnibus fidibus, ut incontentae sint; illud non continuo, ut aeque incontentae, id. Fin. 4, 27, 75: si malo careat, continuone fruitur summo bono? id. Tusc. 3, 18, 40; so, continuone si? etc., Quint. 9, 2, 84.—
B. In Quint. twice (for the ante- and post-class. continue), in an uninterrupted series, one after another, continuously: qualis (labor) fuit illius, qui grana ciceris ex spatio distante missa, in acum continuo et sine frustratione inserebat, Quint. 2, 20, 3; 9, 1, 11.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Italic *-wos Latin -uus Latin continuus From contin(eō) (“to hold together”) + -uus.

Descendants
  • Catalancontinu
  • Englishcontinuous
  • Frenchcontinu
  • Germankontinuierlich
  • Italiancontinuo
  • Portuguesecontínuo
  • Romaniancontinuu
  • Spanishcontinuo
  • Dutchcontinu
  • Extremadurancontinuu

Quick answers

What does continuus mean in Latin?
continuus, a adjective, means “continuous, uninterrupted, successive, lasting; straight, in a row, whole; following one after another, successive, succeeding, continuous”.
How do you pronounce continuus?
In classical Latin, [kɔnˈtɪ.nu.ʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [konˈtiː.nu.us].