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Continual vs Ongoing - What's the difference?

continual | ongoing |

Ongoing is a synonym of continual.



As adjectives the difference between continual and ongoing

is that continual is recurring in steady, rapid succession while ongoing is continuing, permanent.

As a noun ongoing is

something that is going on; a happening.

continual

English

Alternative forms

* continuall (obsolete)

Adjective

(-)
  • Recurring in steady, rapid succession.
  • (proscribed) Seemingly continuous; appearing to have no end or interruption.
  • (proscribed) Forming a continuous series.

    • Usage notes

    In careful usage, continual refers to repeated'' actions “continual objections”, while continuous refers to ''uninterrupted'' actions or objects “continuous flow”, “played music continuously from dusk to dawn”. However, this distinction is not observed in informal usage, a noted example being the magic spell name “continual light” (unbroken light), in the game ''.

    Related terms

    * continuance * continuation * continue * continuous * continuum

    References

    External links

    * *

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    ongoing

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • continuing, permanent
  • presently or currently happening; being in progress

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something that is going on; a happening.
  • * 1961 , Floyd H. Allport, Theories of perception and the concept of structure
    • We shall not be concerned here with the specific electrical or chemical changes that take place, but only with the fact of continuous ongoings as one of the elements for building a format of dynamic structure.

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