Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The act or fact of continuing.
  • noun The time during which something exists or lasts; duration.
  • noun A continuation or sequel.
  • noun Law Postponement or adjournment to a future date.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A holding on, remaining, or abiding in a particular state, or in a course or series; permanence, as of habits, condition, or abode; a state of lasting; continuation; constancy; perseverance; duration.
  • noun Uninterrupted succession or continuation; indefinite prolongation; perpetuation.
  • noun Progression of time.
  • noun In law: The deferring of a trial or hearing, or the fixing of a future day for the parties to a suit to appear or to be heard. Specifically— In the United States, the deferring of a trial or suit from one stated term of the court to another.
  • noun Continuity; resistance to a separation of parts; a holding together; ductility.
  • noun Synonyms and Continuity, etc. See continuation.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A holding on, or remaining in a particular state; permanence, as of condition, habits, abode, etc.; perseverance; constancy; duration; stay.
  • noun Uninterrupted succession; continuation; constant renewal; perpetuation; propagation.
  • noun obsolete A holding together; continuity.
  • noun The adjournment of the proceedings in a cause from one day, or from one stated term of a court, to another.
  • noun The entry of such adjournment and the grounds thereof on the record.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun uncountable The action of continuing.
  • noun countable (law) An order issued by a court granting a postponement of a legal proceeding for a set period.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the act of continuing an activity without interruption
  • noun the property of enduring or continuing in time
  • noun the period of time during which something continues

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word continuance.

Examples

  • With such proofs of the uncertain continuance here of the great ornaments & blessings of society, let not little circumstances induce us to neglect the tender of their friendship.

    Letter 188 2009

  • I sense that Sen. Clintons continuance is not good, but that's just one guys gut feeling.

    Sunday Roundup: End of the road for Clinton? 2008

  • The only variance of note was that in Term 22, providing for the short-term continuance of statutes relating to the export marketing of salted fish.

    The constitutional fish, redux Ed Hollett 2007

  • If it clearly appears that the accused has not in fact been misled by the form of the charges and specifications, and that a continuance is not necessary for the protection of his substantial rights, the court may proceed immediately with the trial upon directing an appropriate amendment of the defective charge of specification.

    EXECUTIVE ORDER 10214 1951

  • Although the question of a continuance is one for the sound discretion of the court, whenever it appears that the court has abused its discretion and denied the accused a reasonable opportunity to prepare for trial or otherwise perfect his defense, the proceedings should be disapproved.

    EXECUTIVE ORDER 10214 1951

  • Subject to the provisions of said Section 93 and in continuance of the principle heretofore sanctioned under the North-West Territories Act, it is enacted that the Legislatures of the said Provinces shall pass all necessary laws in respect of Education; and that it shall therein always be provided

    North-West Autonomy 1905

  • Elihu maintains that afflictions are to the godly disciplinary, in order to lead them to attain a higher moral worth, and that the reason for their continuance is not, as the friends asserted, on account of the sufferer's extraordinary guilt, but because the discipline has not yet attained its object, namely, to lend him to humble himself penitently before God (Isa 9: 13; Jer 5: 3).

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • Whether those lives were wasted, or whether their brave example was not worth more to the world than a few years more of continuance, is not the question here to be asked.

    A Book of Golden Deeds 1864

  • – Felix chops the log in continuance – at a similar break in the tune the same voice heard again, nearer.

    Act II 1823

  • The hurried music from the close of the First Act to play in continuance until this scene is discovered, and Frankenstein enters, hastily, to centre of stage.

    Act II 1823

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.