Other forms: continuances
Continuance is the act of going on, and in American law a delay granted in court. The continuance of the policy, grant a continuance, seek a continuance.
The general sense is formal and slightly dated — the continuance of hostilities — where continuation is now the ordinary word. The legal sense is American and specific: a continuance postpones a hearing to a later date, and either side may ask for one. Note continuity, which means unbroken connection and is a different noun again from the same verb.
1nounactThe act of going on.
“The charity's continuance depends on donations from the public.”
2nouncontinuanceA delay granted in court, in American use.
“The lawyer asked for a continuance because a key witness was in hospital.”
continuance is a going on, or a postponement.
Old French continuance comes from continuer, from Latin continuare, to join together — con plus tenere, to hold. Contain and continent come from the same holding.
Old French
continuance
Middle English
continuance
English, today
continuance
From Middle English continuance, contynuaunce, from Old French continuance, from continuer.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in Word Building