A continent is a very large area of land, such as Africa or Asia, that consists of several countries.
She loved the African continent.
Dinosaurs evolved when most continents were joined in a single land mass.
2. proper noun
People sometimes use the Continent to refer to the continent of Europe except for Britain.
[mainly British]
Its shops are among the most stylish on the Continent.
More Synonyms of continent
continent in British English1
(ˈkɒntɪnənt)
noun
1.
one of the earth's large land masses (Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, North and South America, and Antarctica)
2.
any of the seven large areas into which the earth is conventionally divided (Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America, Oceania, and Antarctica)
3.
that part of the earth's crust that rises above the oceans and is composed of sialic rocks. Including the continental shelves, the continents occupy 30 per cent of the earth's surface
4. obsolete
a.
mainland as opposed to islands
b.
a continuous extent of land
Derived forms
continental (ˌkɒntɪˈnɛntəl)
adjective
continentally (ˌcontiˈnentally)
adverb
Word origin
C16: from the Latin phrase terra continens continuous land, from continēre; see contain
continent in British English2
(ˈkɒntɪnənt)
adjective
1.
able to control urination and defecation
2.
exercising self-restraint, esp from sexual activity; chaste
Derived forms
continence (ˈcontinence) or continency (ˈcontinency)
noun
continently (ˈcontinently)
adverb
Word origin
C14: from Latin continent-, present participle of continēre; see contain
Continent in British English
(ˈkɒntɪnənt)
noun
the Continent
continent in American English
(ˈkɑntənənt)
adjective
1.
self-restrained; temperate
2.
characterized by self-restraint in, esp. by total abstinence from, sexual activity
3. Obsolete
restrictive
noun
4. Rare
a thing that retains or contains something
5.
the mainland
now rare except in the Continent, all of Europe except the British Isles
6.
any of the main large land areas of the earth, conventionally regarded (with or without outlying islands) as units; Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America,and, sometimes, Antarctica
Derived forms
continently (ˈcontinently)
adverb
Word origin
OFr < L continens, prp. of continere: see contain
Examples of 'continent' in a sentence
continent
Now this spark must jump to other parts of the continent.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Football is not the prerogative of one or two continents.
The Sun (2016)
If they succeed they will more than double the number of people who have trekked across the entire continent in this way.
The Sun (2016)
Trainline is gradually folding rail operations on the Continent into a single app.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Hats have been sent in from five continents and at least five were knitted in Britain.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
To the east lies the entire continent, gorging itself on the pure, white and deadly.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Skies from different continents flashed on a big screen.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
There are few who have planted on two continents so his comments are worth hearing.
Christianity Today (2000)
On the continent one team usually has it sewn up weeks before the end.
The Sun (2012)
It is the only continent on earth where the first human buildings still stand.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He said that we should look at what happened on different continents around the world.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The continent needed two really good women runners.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Games have spanned six countries and five continents.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Africa is still the poorest continent on earth.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
And tigers are from an entirely different continent.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
That view misses the unequal nature of the relationship between the football cultures of the two continents.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Smaller continents merged one with another.
Richard Fortey THE EARTH: An Intimate History (2004)
The threat now goes well beyond the African continent.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Consequently, we try to see the entire continent in one go.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Demand on parts of the Continent is weak.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It will be one of the largest infrastructure programmes on the African continent.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
After 5000 bc the evidence for large settlements on neighbouring parts of the continent seems to disappear.
Francis Pryor BRITAIN BC: Life In Britain and Ireland before the Romans (2003)
It is one of only four of the continent's countries that are based on a single ethnic group.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
I took them on holiday to the Continent four times without losing them or sitting on them.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
No players should be criticised for moving from one club to another or one continent to another, but one nation to another is different.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Germany remained the continent's biggest seller despite a drop of 14.2 per cent.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
That's it, for an entire continent.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
continent
British English: continent /ˈkɒntɪnənt/ NOUN
A continent is a very large area of land, such as Africa or Asia, that consists of several countries.
She loved the African continent.
American English: continent
Arabic: قَارَّة
Brazilian Portuguese: continente
Chinese: 大陆
Croatian: kontinent
Czech: kontinent
Danish: kontinent
Dutch: continent
European Spanish: continente
Finnish: maanosa
French: continent
German: Kontinent
Greek: ήπειρος
Italian: continente
Japanese: 大陸
Korean: 대륙
Norwegian: kontinent
Polish: kontynent
European Portuguese: continente
Romanian: continent
Russian: континент
Latin American Spanish: continente
Swedish: kontinent
Thai: ทวีป
Turkish: kıta
Ukrainian: континент
Vietnamese: lục địa
Chinese translation of 'continent'
continent
(ˈkɔntɪnənt)
n(c)
大陆(陸) (dàlù) (个(個), gè)
the Continent (Brit, = mainland Europe) 欧(歐)洲大陆(陸) (ōuzhōu dàlù)
on the Continent (Brit) 在欧(歐)洲大陆(陸) (zài Ōuzhōu dàlù)
(adjective)
Synonyms
self-restrained
sober
He was dour and uncommunicative when stone sober.
austere
The life of the troops was comparatively austere.
celibate
He found it hard to adapt to the celibate life of a monk.
ascetic
priests practising an ascetic life
chaste
Beyond them she could see the dim, chaste interior of the room.
abstemious
They want to live a quiet, abstemious life.
abstinent
I party a bit, and then I'll be abstinent for ages.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abstemious
Definition
taking very little alcohol or food
They want to live a quiet, abstemious life.
Synonyms
temperate,
sparing,
moderate,
sober,
austere,
frugal,
ascetic,
self-denying,
abstinent,
continent
in the sense of abstinent
I party a bit, and then I'll be abstinent for ages.