continental meaning

continental means related to or characteristic of a continent.

continental :

relating to a continent

adjective

▪ The continental climate is dry.

▪ The climate of the continent is dry.

▪ Continental Europe is diverse.

▪ The continent of Europe is diverse.

paraphrasing

▪ continental – relating to a continent

▪ regional – relating to a region

▪ terrestrial – relating to land

▪ geographical – relating to geography

continental

Pronunciation

continental [ˌkɒn.tɪˈnɛn.təl]

The stress is on 'nen' and sounds like 'kon-ti-nen-tal'.

Common phrases and grammar about continental

continental - Common meaning

adjective
relating to a continent

Part of Speech Changes for "continental"

▪ continent (noun) – a large landmass

▪ continentally (adverb) – in a way relating to a continent

Common Expressions with "continental"

▪ continental breakfast – a light morning meal

▪ continental drift – movement of continents

▪ continental divide – a ridge separating river systems

▪ continental shelf – underwater land near a continent

Important examples of continental in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, continental often describes climate or geographical features.

▪The hotel offers a continental breakfast.
▪The hotel provides a light morning meal.

Example of a confusing word: content (satisfied)

▪The hotel offers a content breakfast.
▪The hotel offers a satisfying breakfast.
"Continental" refers to a style of breakfast that is light and simple, often associated with European hotels. It fits naturally in the context of "continental breakfast." "Content," however, means "satisfied" or "happy" and does not make sense when used to describe a type of breakfast. The structure "offers a content breakfast" is grammatically incorrect because "content" is not an adjective that describes a meal. Therefore, "continental" is the correct choice.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

As an adjective, continental is used to describe nouns related to continents in TOEIC questions.

▪The continental climate affects the region.
▪The climate of the continent affects the area.

continental

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

continental breakfast

'light morning meal', often used in hotel services.

▪The hotel serves a continental breakfast daily.
▪The hotel provides a light morning meal every day.

continental drift

means 'movement of continents', used in geology.

▪Scientists study continental drift.
▪Researchers examine the movement of continents.

Differences between similar words and continental

continental

,

regional

differences

Continental relates to large landmasses, while regional refers to smaller, specific areas.

continental
▪The continental climate is harsh.
▪The climate of the continent is harsh.
regional
▪The regional weather is mild.
▪The weather in the area is mild.
continental

Words with the same origin as continental

The origin of continental

The word 'continental' comes from the Latin 'continentem', meaning 'holding together'.

Word structure

It has the root 'continent' (landmass) and the suffix 'al' (relating to), so continental means 'relating to a landmass'.

Words with the same origin

The root of continental is 'continent'. Words with the same root include 'content' (satisfied).

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