"act or fact of continuing or prolonging; extension in time or space," late 14c., from Old French continuation (13c.) and directly from Latin continuationem (nominative continuatio) "a following of one thing after another," noun of action from past-participle stem of continuare "to join together, connect; make or be continuous," from continuus "joining, connecting with something; following one after another," from continere(intransitive) "to be uninterrupted," literally "to hang together" (see contain).
