Continuity

How to spell continuity

10 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce continuity

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does continuity mean?

1. nounThe state of carrying on without interruption, or of remaining consistent over time.
2. nounConsistency of details such as props, costume, and lighting across separate shots or scenes.

Continuity in a sentence

• The handover notes ensure continuity when a colleague goes on leave.

• A continuity error left the actor's glass full in one shot and empty in the next.

• A backup generator preserves continuity of supply during a power cut.

• The script supervisor checks continuity before the crew moves to a new set.

Where does continuity come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin continuitas, an abstract noun meaning 'an unbroken connection', which was built on the adjective continuus, 'joined together, uninterrupted'. That adjective in turn came from the verb continere, 'to hold together', formed from com- (here softened to 'con-', meaning 'together') and tenere, 'to hold'. English took the word through Old French continuité in the late 1300s, keeping the sense of something that holds together without a break. The same tenere root for 'holding' lurks inside a whole family of relatives such as 'contain', 'tenant', 'tenacious', and 'retain'. Remembering that 'tenere' meant 'to hold' helps explain the smooth -tinu- in the middle and the unstressed -uity ending that trips writers up.

How the word is built

• con- (together)
• tinu (from tenere: to hold)
• -ity (noun suffix forming an abstract noun)