A continuum is a range or series that gradually changes. It isn’t quite as sharply defined as a line or a circle, but it has distinct extremes. For example, a ninth grader’s mastery of algebra is on one end of the math spectrum; their ability to write in cursive is on another.
Parents tend to fall on either side of a basic continuum from a heavy hand on discipline to a more child centered approach. Some people are gluten intolerant, putting them on the low end of a gluten intolerance continuum; others are lactose intolerant, placing them on the high end of a dairy intolerance continuum.
These examples are programmatically gathered from various online sources and may not represent the views of Merriam-Webster or its editors. This word is from the Latin continuum, meaning ‘continuous, or that which continues.’ Other words with this definition include gradient, incessant, and intercourse.the continuum