1. A reference to the formation of, or to one of the seven land masses of the world: Railroads are still being developed around the world to make continental traveling easier to do and to do it in less time.
2. When capitalized, related to the thirteen American colonies in or at about the same time as the Revolutionary War: When George Washington turned 50 in February of 1782, he was commander of the Continental Army.

In 1783, the members of the Continental military were struggling to survive against the British forces.

The main series of mountains in North America, primarily the crests of the Rocky Mountains, that form a watershed (ridge of land): The Continental Divide separates the rivers flowing east into the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico from those flowing west into the Pacific Ocean.

The very gradual movement of continents: The continental drift is the theory that today's continents were formed by the breakup of prehistoric supercontinents and that they slowly glided to their current positions.

The offshore extension of a continent: The outermost part of a land mass is the continental shelf that is submerged under shallow water, and extends into an open sea or ocean.

A mountain range formed by the convergence of continental plates: Three examples of continental sutures are the Himalayas, the Appalachians, and the Alps.