continent

English Online Dictionary. What means continent‎? What does continent mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒntɪnənt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑntɪnənt/, /ˈkɑnt(ə)nənt/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin continens, noun use of present participle of continēre (“to contain”).

Noun

continent (plural continents)

1. One of the main continuous landmasses, separated by water or geological features, on the surface of a planet, sometimes including its continental shelves and the islands on them.
2. Each of the traditional main regions into which the Earth’s land surface is divided, including both an extent of mainland and various conventionally associated islands, etc; namely, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australasia/Oceania, North America, South America, and Antarctica.
3. (obsolete in general sense) A large contiguous landmass as opposed to its islands, peninsulas, and so forth; mainland. Also specifically, the Old World continent of Europe–Asia–Africa: see the Continent.
4. (figuratively) A large connected expanse of something in general.
5. (obsolete) Any continuous tract or area of land; country, connected region.
6. (obsolete) Land (as opposed to the water), dry land.
7. (obsolete) The body or mass of a celestial body such as the sun or moon.
8. (obsolete) Container, vessel, something that holds or contains something else.
9. (obsolete) Space, capacity.
10. (obsolete) The principal or essential points of something viewed collectively: sum, summary, substance.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English contynent, from Old French continent, from Latin continentem (“continuous; holding together”), present participle of continēre (“to contain”).

Adjective

continent (comparative more continent, superlative most continent)

1. Exercising self-restraint; controlled, temperate with respect to one’s bodily needs or passions, especially sex.
2. Having voluntary control over one’s urination or defecation.
3. (obsolete) Not interrupted; connected; continuous, whether in time or space.
4. (obsolete) Serving to restrain or limit; restraining; opposing.
5. (obsolete) Containing or capable of containing.

Antonyms

• incontinent

Derived terms

Translations

Aragonese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin continentem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kontiˈnen/
• Rhymes: -en
• Syllabification: con‧ti‧nent

Noun

continent m

1. continent

Related terms

• continental

See also

• (continents) continent; Africa,‎ America,‎ America d'el Norte/‎Norte-america,‎ America del Sud/‎Sud-america,‎ Antartida,‎ Ásia,‎ Europa,‎ Oceania ^{(Category: an:Continents) [edit]}

Further reading

• Diccionario ortografico de l'aragonés (Seguntes la PO de l'EFA)

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin continentem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [kun.tiˈnen]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [kon.tiˈnent]

Noun

continent m (plural continents)

1. continent

Related terms

• continental

See also

• (continents) continent; Àfrica,‎ Amèrica,‎ Amèrica del Nord/‎Nord-amèrica,‎ Amèrica del Sud/‎Sud-amèrica,‎ Antàrtida,‎ Àsia,‎ Europa,‎ Oceania ^{(Category: ca:Continents) [edit]}

Further reading

• “continent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “continent”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “continent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “continent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌkɔn.tiˈnɛnt/
• Hyphenation: con‧ti‧nent
• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French continent, from Latin continēns.

Noun

continent n (plural continenten)

1. continent (landmass)

   Synonym: werelddeel

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Indonesian: kontinen

Etymology 2

Ultimately from Latin continēns. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Adjective

continent (not comparable)

1. (chiefly medicine) continent
2. (obsolete) continent, morally restrained

Declension

Related terms

• incontinent

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin continentem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.ti.nɑ̃/

Noun

continent m (plural continents)

1. continent

Derived terms

• continental
• sous-continent

Related terms

• contenir

Descendants

• Antillean Creole: kontinan
• Haitian Creole: kontinan
• → Romanian: continent

Further reading

• “continent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Latin

Verb

continent

1. third-person plural present active indicative of contineō

Middle French

Adjective

continent m (feminine singular continente, masculine plural continens, feminine plural continentes)

1. continent (exercising restraint)

   Antonym: incontinent

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin continēns.

Pronunciation

Noun

continent m (plural continents)

1. continent

Related terms

• continental

Further reading

• Diccionari General de la Lenga Occitana, L’Academia occitana – Consistòri del Gai Saber, 2008-2024, page 192.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin continens and/or from French continent.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kon.tiˈnent/

Noun

continent n (plural continente)

1. continent

Declension

Related terms

• continental
• conține

Further reading

• continent in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)