Comments on: Continuous or Continual?

By: Gaylon

Gaylon — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:35:34 +0000

Thank’s for that! I studied those words but came to the same conclusion you mentioned in the beginning. Even so, I felt there must be a difference! Now I know. I will watch when using those words!

By: Stewie

Stewie — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:34:05 +0000

Such PC-ness! Note that a child is an ‘it’, it’s actually ‘neuter’ in German for example. I take exception to people who consider children as persons.

I suggest that anyone who can’t live with he or she use ’s/he’, it’s shorter and neater than writing ‘he or she’ and ‘he/she’. And it puts women first ))

By: Nafees Ahmad

Nafees Ahmad — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:04:19 +0000

So perpetual connots permanancy instead of continuity.

Thanks betsyG !!

By: BetsyG

BetsyG — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:38:16 +0000

Perennial essentially means “every year.” The “ennial” part means year. Flowers that are perennials flower every year. So the “perennial favorite” or the “perennial problem” essentially means “every time it comes up.” It isn’t necessarily a year in common usage.

Perpetual means always, continuously, without stop, forever. The perpetual motion machine is one that is forever in motion. Perpetual care for a gravesite means that the care will always be given, “in perpetuity,” as in forever.

Perpetual and continuous are not the same, though, because perpetual suggests that there will never be an end, whereas something can be continous or continual for a while, but you’d expect it to stop some time.

By: Nafees Ahmad

Nafees Ahmad — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:29:13 +0000

Can somebody help me understand the difference between “perennial” and “perpetual”. These words also used in context of continuity of a process or action.