1. people from continental Europe, especially as distinguished from those from Britain or islands
2. paper money issued by the Continental Congress during the American Revolution
Usage: historical

Examples

• The British often refer to their neighbors as continentals.
• Many continentals vacation in the Mediterranean during summer.
• The continentals had different customs than the islanders.
• Revolutionary War soldiers were often paid in continentals.
• The phrase ‘not worth a continental’ refers to the worthless paper money.
• Continentals quickly lost their value due to inflation.