Definition of continentnext
as in mainland
one of the great divisions of land on the globe or the main part of such a division Europe and Asia are sometimes considered together to be one continent

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in temperate
given to or marked by restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites a religious sect that expects its unmarried members to be completely celibate and its married adherents to maintain continent relationships

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of continent
Noun
This year there are a record nine, in seven countries on four different continents. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 4 Oct. 2026 It’s meant to launch a new franchise, with separate series documenting the wildlife and environmental ecosystems of all seven continents in turn. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 4 Oct. 2026 However, anyone struggling to find accommodation in Luxor should remember that this is a continent-spanning eclipse, not a single-city event. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026 Past flights by the company’s planes have included 120 countries and every continent except Antarctica. — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for continent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for continent
Noun
  • Sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland, Kaliningrad is separated from mainland Russia and remains a major security concern for NATO’s eastern flank.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Then sponsored by another Danish MEP, Kira Marie Peter-Hansenm, the display took aim at Hong Kong and mainland China, where references to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre are heavily censored.
    — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • No other environments in the solar system share the temperate environment of Earth — there's either too much heat or too much cold, too much radiation or not enough light, too much acidity or toxic materials.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The lake creates a temperate microclimate that sustains one of the country’s most productive fruit-growing regions—and makes this the best possible place to forget a packed lunch.
    — Mike Norton, Midwest Living, 26 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • And there were posters tearing apart his otherworldly self-projection as a fakir, or ascetic, depicting him in his monogrammed suits, designer sunglasses, and aircraft.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Then, over the following years, came sustainability and strict reuse and ascetic renunciation, and today, finally, its photo series and articles advocated for a mild, slightly quirky anticapitalist metaphysics.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
Adjective
  • Lunchtimes are more abstemious with avocado and tuna packed poke bowls and watermelon salad at the W lounge.
    — Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
  • His first term now looks practically abstemious.
    — Erin Neil, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The body of research on non-abstinent recovery has been growing as well.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Not everybody needs to spend the rest of their life totally abstinent with a cup of shitty coffee in a Styrofoam cup regurgitating platitudes.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Continent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/continent. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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