WordGarden.iodiscontinuous
C2Pronunciation
UK
US
- /dɪskəntˈɪnjuːəs/
Meanings
Adjective
not continuous; broken into separate parts or intervals
not mathematically continuous at one or more points
Beyond the definition
Imagine a road trip where the highway suddenly ends and you're forced onto a bumpy dirt track for a while before getting back on smooth pavement. That's what "discontinuous" feels like—something that isn't flowing smoothly or consistently. It means broken up, interrupted, or not connected. A discontinuous function in math doesn't have a smooth, unbroken graph; instead, it has visible jumps or breaks. You might describe a conversation as discontinuous if it's full of awkward silences and abrupt changes in topic. Think of flickering lights—they aren't continuous because the flow of light is constantly being broken.
"Discontinuous" describes something that isn't continuous—meaning it has breaks, interruptions, or gaps. It implies a lack of smooth connection or flow. While we often think of things as flowing seamlessly, many things in life are actually discontinuous!
Think about time itself. We measure it continuously with clocks, but events often happen discontinuously—one moment there is silence; the next, a loud bang. Or consider a digital image: what appears to be a smooth picture on your screen is actually made up of tiny, separate pixels—a discontinuous collection of points that creates the illusion of continuity.
In mathematics and science, "discontinuous" has precise meanings. A discontinuous function in calculus doesn't have a smooth graph; it jumps or breaks at certain points. In physics, discontinuous variables change abruptly rather than gradually, such as the sudden change in density when water turns to ice.
The word is not limited to technical fields. You can use "discontinuous" to describe anything that lacks flow or connection: "The company experienced discontinuous growth," meaning their expansion wasn't steady but happened in irregular bursts. Or, "Her memories of childhood were discontinuous," suggesting she had fragmented and incomplete recollections.
So, when something isn't flowing smoothly, has gaps, or is broken up, it's discontinuous. It highlights the absence of a seamless connection, whether in math, memory, or movement.
Examples
- 1
Footpath
Because of the landslide, the footpath is discontinuous in several places.
- 2
Sensor data
The sensor produced a discontinuous stream of data, so the team repeated the test.
- 3
Narrative structure
Unlike her first novel, this one has a discontinuous narrative that jumps between time periods.
- Phrasediscontinuous narrative
a story told in separate parts, not in one smooth order
- 4
Calculus
In calculus, students learn that a function can be discontinuous at a single point.
See also
Similar
- interrupted
- broken
- noncontinuous
Shades of meaning
- intermittent
- fragmented
- noncontiguous
Contrast
Do not confuse
Used with (collocations)
- discontinuous data
- discontinuous function
- discontinuous change
- discontinuous distribution
Word family
- discontinuity
- discontinuously
Explore
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- discontinuousadjective