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Recurrent vs Continual - What's the difference?

recurrent | continual |

As adjectives the difference between recurrent and continual

is that recurrent is recurrent; recurring while continual is recurring in steady, rapid succession.

recurrent

English

Adjective

(wikipedia recurrent) (-)
  • Recurring time after time.
    • The patient complained of recurrent chest pain.
  • (mathematics, stochastic processes, of a state) non-transient.
  • Running back toward its origin.
    • a recurrent nerve or artery

    Synonyms

    * (math) persistent

    Related terms

    * quasirecurrent * recurrence

    Anagrams

    * ----

    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

    * *

    Anagrams

    *