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Intermittent vs Continual - What's the difference?

intermittent | continual |

As adjectives the difference between intermittent and continual

is that intermittent is stopping and starting at intervals; coming after a particular time span; not steady or constant while continual is recurring in steady, rapid succession.

As a noun intermittent

is (medicine|dated) an intermittent fever or disease.

intermittent

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Stopping and starting at intervals; coming after a particular time span; not steady or constant
    • The day was cloudy with intermittent rain.
    Intermittent bugs are most difficult to reproduce.
  • (specifically, geology, of a body of water) Existing only for certain seasons; that is, being dry for part of the year.
    • The area has many intermittent lakes and streams.

    Derived terms

    * intermittently

    Related terms

    * inter * inter- * intermittence * intermittency

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (medicine, dated) An intermittent fever or disease.
    • (Dunglison)
    ----

    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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    Anagrams

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