What does discontinuously mean?
"Discontinuously" is a formal adverb describing something that happens or exists with breaks, gaps, or interruptions rather than as an unbroken whole. It is formed from "discontinuous," which combines the prefix "dis-" (expressing separation or negation) with "continuous," ultimately rooted in the Latin "continuus," meaning unbroken or hanging together. The word appears frequently in scientific and academic writing: populations may be distributed discontinuously across isolated habitats, geological layers may be laid down discontinuously over time, and in mathematics a function behaves discontinuously where it jumps abruptly instead of changing smoothly. Because it carries a precise, technical tone, it rarely surfaces in casual conversation, where phrases like "off and on" or "in fits and starts" do the same work more naturally. Its usefulness lies in that precision — it signals not merely infrequency, but a genuine structural break in what might otherwise be expected to form a continuous series.
In a manner that is not continuous; with interruptions or gaps in time, space, or extent.
"The heating system ran discontinuously, switching on only when temperatures dropped below a set threshold."
Common in scientific and formal writing; less frequent in everyday speech.
(Mathematics and sciences) In a way characterized by abrupt change or jumps rather than smooth, gradual variation.
"The function behaves discontinuously at x = 0, jumping from one value to another without passing through intermediate points."
Primarily found in mathematical analysis and related technical fields.
In mathematics, a function can be 'discontinuous' at a single point — meaning 'discontinuously' can describe behavior that breaks down at exactly one spot out of infinitely many.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of discontinuously
"Discontinuously" derives from "discontinuous," which entered English from the Latin "continuus" (unbroken), combined with the prefix "dis-," indicating negation or reversal. The Latin root "continuus" itself comes from "continere," to hold together, sharing ancestry with words like "contain" and "continent." The adverbial form developed alongside its adjective parent, and cognates of the same root appear in Romance languages such as French "discontinûment" and Spanish "discontinuamente." The word has been part of English scholarly vocabulary since roughly the early modern period, gaining particular prominence with the rise of calculus and mathematical analysis.
Related word forms
How discontinuously is actually used
A formal, largely technical word, most at home in scientific, mathematical, and academic prose rather than everyday conversation. In ordinary speech, speakers usually prefer 'intermittently' or 'off and on'.
Easily confused with discontinuously
'Discreetly' means carefully or tactfully so as to avoid attention, while 'discontinuously' means with breaks or interruptions.