Word
continuance
Phoneticscon·tin·u·ance, stress on the second syllable
US/kənˈtɪnjuəns/
UK/kəntˈɪnjuːəns/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. the act of continuing something or the state of staying in existence. In a legal context, it often refers to a court order that delays a trial or keeps a case active.
n. the act of continuing or the state of remaining in existence. In legal terminology, it specifically denotes a court order that postpones a trial or maintains the status of a case.
Examples
“The judge granted a continuance to allow more evidence to be collected.”
“The defense attorney requested a continuance because the key witness was unable to travel to the court on the scheduled date.”
“The continuance of the proceedings was granted on the grounds that the prosecution had not yet completed its forensic analysis of the recovered documents.”
Examples
simple
“The judge granted a continuance to allow more evidence to be collected.”
contextual
“The defense attorney requested a continuance because the key witness was unable to travel to the court on the scheduled date.”
complex
“The continuance of the proceedings was granted on the grounds that the prosecution had not yet completed its forensic analysis of the recovered documents.”
Real-World Examples
“The end of the liberal order would unleash chaos; its continuance means unconstrained economic suffering.” “As for conjugal sex, the only function was to produce a male heir who would ensure the continuance of the household and carry out the ritual respects due to the ancestors.” “Before this, it had been proposed that natural selection was honing the behaviour of living things to promote the continuance through time of the individual creature, or family, or group or species.” Etymology
From Middle English continuance, contynuaunce, from Old French continuance, from continuer.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/continuance