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Definition of "continental" []

  • Of, relating to, or characteristic of a continent. (adjective)
  • Of or relating to the mainland of Europe; European. (adjective)
  • Of or relating to the American colonies during and immediately after the American Revolution. (adjective)
  • Used as an intensive: "Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine,/The continental liar from the state of Maine.” ( Grover Cleveland). (adjective)
  • An inhabitant of a continent. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "continental" in a sentence
  • "The difference between the ice streams of the mountains and those which we term continental depends solely on the areas of the fields and the depth of the accumulation."
  • "The term continental US also means the 48 contiguous states, although Alaska is geographically part of the continental US."
  • "I use "brunch" advisedly because it was really just doughnuts, bagels, and muffins -- what they call a continental breakfast in this country."