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Gradual vs Continuous - What's the difference?

gradual | continuous |

As adjectives the difference between gradual and continuous

is that gradual is proceeding by steps or small degrees; advancing step by step, as in ascent or descent or from one state to another; regularly progressive; slow while continuous is without break, cessation, or interruption; without intervening time.

As a noun gradual

is an antiphon or responsory after the epistle, in the Mass, which was sung on the steps, or while the deacon ascended the steps.

gradual

English

Alternative forms

* graduall (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Proceeding by steps or small degrees; advancing step by step, as in ascent or descent or from one state to another; regularly progressive; slow.
    • a gradual''' increase of knowledge; a '''gradual decline
  • * Milton
    • Creatures animate with gradual life / Of growth, sense, reason, all summed up in man.

    Synonyms

    * (l)

    Antonyms

    * sudden * abrupt

    Derived terms

    * gradually

    See also

    * (l)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (Roman Catholic Church) An antiphon or responsory after the epistle, in the Mass, which was sung on the steps, or while the deacon ascended the steps.
  • (Roman Catholic Church) A service book containing the musical portions of the Mass.

    • continuous

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Without break, cessation, or interruption; without intervening time.
    • a continuous current of electricity
  • * 1847 , , Ticknor and Fields (1854), page 90:
    • he can hear its continuous murmur
  • Without intervening space; continued; protracted; extended.
    • a continuous line of railroad
  • (botany) Not deviating or varying from uniformity; not interrupted; not joined or articulated.
  • (analysis, of a function) Such that, for every x'' in the domain, for each small open interval ''D'' about ''f''(''x''), there's an interval containing ''x'' whose image is in ''D .
  • (mathematics, more generally, of a function) Such that each open set in the range has an open preimage.
    • Each continuous function from the real line to the rationals is constant, since the rationals are totally disconnected.
  • (grammar) Expressing an ongoing action or state.

    • Usage notes

    *

    Synonyms

    * (without break, cessation, or interruption in time''): constant, continual (''but see usage notes above ), incessant, never-ending, ongoing, unbroken, unceasing, unending, uninterrupted * (without break, cessation, or interruption in space ): connected, unbroken * See also

    Antonyms

    * (without break, cessation, or interruption in time ): broken, discontinuous, discrete, intermittent, interrupted * (without break, cessation, or interruption in space ): broken, disconnected, disjoint, unbroken * (in mathematical analysis ): discontinuous, stepwise

    Derived terms

    * continuous brake * continuous impost * continuously * continuousness (in mathematics) * continuous distribution * continuous function * continuous group * continuous line illusion * continuous map * continuous mapping theorem * continuous space * continuous vector bundle * continuously differentiable function * uniformly continuous

    Related terms

    * continuity * continued * continuum

    See also

    * constant * contiguous

    References