A continuum, pronounced kon-TIN-yoo-um, is a range or series of something that gradually changes with no distinct part but has distinctly defined extremes. For example, a high school student could start out learning algebra and move to geometry as they got better at each subject. Gender, for instance, is a continuum that moves from male to female as boys and girls develop into men and women.

The word can also describe an idea or a relationship. For example, it is common for people to view parenting styles along a continuum from strict discipline to more child centered approach.

You might hear people use the word in conversation to talk about medical conditions, such as lactose intolerance and gluten intolerance. You might see the word in print or online to discuss a concept, such as the space-time continuum in relativity theory. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word ‘continuum.’ Send us feedback about these examples.the continuum