Continental Meaning
/ˌkɑntɪˈnɛntl̩/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjOf or relating to a continent or continents.
adjOf the mainland, as opposed to an island offshore.
Sentence Examples
They serve a continental breakfast in this hotel.
The largest continental lake in the world is the Caspian Sea.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The airline offers a ____ breakfast with croissants and jam.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
They serve a ____ breakfast in this hotel.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English continent Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English continental From continent + -al.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Offshore to the west of the continental margin during the Early Triassic, the Sonoma highlands formed a volcanic island arc, separated from the mainland by a shallow sea that cut through western Nevada and northwestern Utah."
— 2012, Chinle Miller, “The Tectonic Forces of the Mesozoic”, in In Mesozoic Lands: The Mesozoic Geology of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Kindle edition, page 34:
"No former king had involved himself so frequently in the labyrinth of continental alliances."
— 1827, Henry Hallam, The Constitutional History of England from the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], →OCLC:
"at Monte Carlo or some of the other Continental gambling-hells"
— 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter I, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
"Reflecting on his long career chronicling scientists, J. G. Crowther wondered why it was that in the grand debates over the nature of light, x-rays, and cathode rays, the British opted for particles and the continentals for waves."
— 2012, Marjorie Senechal, I Died for Beauty: Dorothy Wrinch and the Cultures of Science:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The airline offers a ____ breakfast with croissants and jam.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
They serve a ____ breakfast in this hotel.