Adjacent Words

Constant definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CONSTANT, a. [L.]
1. Fixed; firm; opposed to fluid.
To turn two fluid liquors into a constant body.
[In this sense, not used.]
2. Fixed; not varied; unchanged; permanent; immutable.
The worlds a scene of changes, and to be constant, in nature were inconstancy.
3. Fixed or firm in mind, purpose, affection or principle; unshaken; unmoved; as a constant friend or lover.
4. Certain; steady; firmly adherent; with to; as a man constant to his purpose, or to his duties.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: unvarying in nature; "maintained a constant temperature"; "principles of unvarying validity" [syn: changeless, constant, invariant, unvarying]
2: steadfast in purpose or devotion or affection; "a man constant in adherence to his ideals"; "a constant lover"; "constant as the northern star" [ant: inconstant]
3: uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing; "the ceaseless thunder of surf"; "in constant pain"; "night and day we live with the incessant noise of the city"; "the never-ending search for happiness"; "the perpetual struggle to maintain standards in a democracy"; "man's unceasing warfare with drought and isolation"; "unremitting demands of hunger" [syn: ceaseless, constant, incessant, never- ending, perpetual, unceasing, unremitting] n
1: a quantity that does not vary [syn: constant, constant quantity, invariable]
2: a number representing a quantity assumed to have a fixed value in a specified mathematical context; "the velocity of light is a constant"

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin constant-, constans, from present participle of constare to stand firm, be consistent, from com- + stare to stand — more at stand Date: 14th century 1. marked by firm steadfast resolution or faithfulness ; exhibiting constancy of mind or attachment <a constant friend> 2. invariable, uniform <a constant flow> 3. continually occurring or recurring ; regular <a constant annoyance> Synonyms: see faithful, continual • constantly adverb II. noun Date: 1832 something invariable or unchanging: as a. a number that has a fixed value in a given situation or universally or that is characteristic of some substance or instrument b. a number that is assumed not to change value in a given mathematical discussion c. a term in logic with a fixed designation

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 continuous (needs constant attention). 2 occurring frequently (receive constant complaints). 3 (often foll. by to) unchanging, faithful, dependable. --n. 1 anything that does not vary. 2 Math. a component of a relationship between variables that does not change its value. 3 Physics a a number expressing a relation, property, etc., and remaining the same in all circumstances. b such a number that remains the same for a substance in the same conditions. Derivatives: constantly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L constare (as com-, stare stand)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Constant Con"stant, n. 1. (Astron.) A number whose value, when ascertained (as by observation) and substituted in a general mathematical formula expressing an astronomical law, completely determines that law and enables predictions to be made of its effect in particular cases. 2. (Physics) A number expressing some property or condition of a substance or of an instrument of precision; as, the dielectric constant of quartz; the collimation constant of a transit instrument. Aberration constant, or Constant of aberration (Astron.), a number which by substitution in the general formula for aberration enables a prediction to be made of the effect of aberration on a star anywhere situated. Its value is 20[sec].47. Constant of integration (Math.), an undetermined constant added to every result of integration. Gravitation constant (Physics), the acceleration per unit of time produced by the attraction of a unit of mass at unit distance. When this is known the acceleration produced at any distance can be calculated. Solar constant (Astron.), the quantity of heat received by the earth from the sun in a unit of time. It is, on the C. G. S. system, 0.0417 small calories per square centimeter per second. --Young.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Constant Con"stant, a. [L. onstans, -antis, p. pr. of constare to stand firm, to be consistent; con- + stare to stand: cf. F. constant. See Stand and cf. Cost, v. t.] 1. Firm; solid; fixed; immovable; -- opposed to fluid. [Obs.] If . . . you mix them, you may turn these two fluid liquors into a constant body. --Boyle. 2. Not liable, or given, to change; permanent; regular; continuous; continually recurring; steadfast; faithful; not fickle. Both loving one fair maid, they yet remained constant friends. --Sir P. Sidney. I am constant to my purposes. --Shak. His gifts, his constant ourtship, nothing gained. --Dryden. Onward the constant current sweeps. --Longfellow. 3. (Math. & Physics) Remaining unchanged or invariable, as a quantity, force, law, etc. 4. Consistent; logical. [Obs.] --Shak. Syn: Fixed; steadfast; unchanging; permanent; unalterable; immutable; invariable; perpetual; continual; resolute; firm; unshaken; determined. Usage: Constant, Continual, Perpetual. These words are sometimes used in an absolute and sometimes in a qualified sense. Constant denotes, in its absolute sense, unchangeably fixed; as, a constant mind or purpose. In its qualified sense, it marks something as a ``standing'' fact or occurence; as, liable to constant interruptions; constantly called for. Continual, in its absolute sense, coincides with continuous. See Continuous. In its qualified sense, it describes a thing as occuring in steady and rapid succession; as, a round of continual calls; continually changing. Perpetual denotes, in its absolute sense, what literally never ceases or comes to an end; as, perpetual motion. In its qualified sense, it is used hyperbolically, and denotes that which rarely ceases; as, perpetual disturbance; perpetual noise; perpetual intermeddling.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Constant Con"stant, n. 1. That which is not subject to change; that which is invariable. 2. (Math.) A quantity that does not change its value; -- used in countradistinction to variable. Absolute constant (Math.), one whose value is absolutely the same under all circumstances, as the number 10, or any numeral. Arbitrary constant, an undetermined constant in a differential equation having the same value during all changes in the values of the variables.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(constants) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. You use constant to describe something that happens all the time or is always there. Inflation is a constant threat... He has been her constant companion for the last four months. = continual ADJ: usu ADJ n • constantly The direction of the wind is constantly changing... ADV: usu ADV with v, also ADV adv/adj 2. If an amount or level is constant, it stays the same over a particular period of time. The average speed of the winds remained constant. = stable ADJ 3. A constant is a thing or value that always stays the same. In the world of fashion it sometimes seems that the only constant is ceaseless change... ? variable N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Stable, fixed, immutable, unvaried, invariable, unchanging, permanent, perpetual. 2. Uniform, regular, stated, certain. 3. Resolute, firm, steady, steadfast, stanch, determined, unshaken, unwavering. 4. Persevering, assiduous, unremitting. 5. Incessant, uninterrupted, unbroken, perpetual, continuous, continual. 6. Faithful, true, trusty, loyal, devoted.

Moby Thesaurus

abiding, accordant, active, age-long, aged, ageless, alike, ancient, antique, ardent, articulated, assiduous, atom, atomic mass, atomic number, atomic weight, automatic, balanced, beaten, catenated, ceaseless, changeless, chattering, chronic, clinging, close, coeternal, colorfast, committed, compliant, concatenated, confirmed, conforming, connected, conscientious, consistent, consonant, continual, continued, continuing, continuous, correspondent, cyclical, dateless, dedicated, deep-dyed, delicate, dependable, determined, devoted, devout, diligent, direct, diuturnal, dogged, double-dyed, durable, duteous, dutiful, dyed-in-the-wool, endless, enduring, equable, equal, eternal, eterne, even, ever-being, ever-durable, ever-during, evergreen, everlasting, everliving, exact, express, fadeless, faithful, fast, featureless, fine, firm, fixed, flat, flinty, frequent, frozen, gapless, habitual, hackneyed, hardy, homogeneous, immediate, immemorial, immobile, immovable, immutable, inalterable, incessant, incommutable, inconvertible, indefatigable, indefeasible, indelible, indestructible, indomitable, industrious, inerrable, inerrant, inert, infallible, infinite, inflexible, ingrain, ingrained, insistent, insusceptible of change, intact, interminable, intransient, intransmutable, invariable, inveterate, invincible, inviolate, irretrievable, irreversible, irrevocable, joined, jointless, lasting, level, liege, linked, long-lasting, long-lived, long-standing, long-term, longeval, longevous, loyal, machine gun, macrobiotic, marble-constant, mathematical, measured, mechanical, methodic, methodical, meticulous, micrometrically precise, microscopic, mindful, monolithic, monotonous, never-ceasing, never-ending, never-tiring, nice, noble, nonreturnable, nonreversible, nonstop, nonterminating, nonterminous, observant, obstinate, of a piece, of long duration, of long standing, olamic, ordered, orderly, oscillating, patient, patient as Job, perdurable, perduring, perennial, periodic, permanent, perpetual, perseverant, persevering, persistent, persisting, pertinacious, pinpoint, plodding, plugging, practicing, precise, preoccupied, pulsating, punctilious, punctual, quantum, quiescent, rapid, rapt, recurrent, recurring, refined, regardful, regular, regular as clockwork, relentless, religious, religiously exact, remaining, repeated, repetitive, resolute, reverseless, rigid, rigorous, robotlike, round-the-clock, routine, running, scientific, scientifically exact, scrupulous, seamless, sedulous, sempervirent, sempiternal, serried, set, settled, severe, single-minded, sleepless, slogging, smooth, solid, sot, square, stabile, stable, staccato, static, stationary, staunch, staying, steadfast, steady, steely, stereotyped, straight, strict, stubborn, stuttering, subtle, sustained, systematic, tenacious, tested, timeless, tireless, torpid, tough, tried, tried and true, trite, true, true-blue, trusty, twenty-four-hour, unabating, unalterable, unalterative, unaltered, unbending, unbroken, unceasing, unchangeable, unchanged, unchanging, unchecked, unconquerable, undaunted, undeflectable, undestroyed, undeviating, undifferentiated, undiscouraged, undiversified, undrooping, unending, unerring, unfading, unfailing, unfaltering, unflagging, unflappable, unflinching, uniform, unintermitted, unintermittent, unintermitting, uninterrupted, unmodifiable, unmovable, unnodding, unrelaxing, unrelenting, unrelieved, unremitting, unrestorable, unreturnable, unruffled, unshakable, unshakeable, unshaken, unshifting, unsleeping, unstopped, unsusceptible, unswerving, untiring, unvariable, unvaried, unvarying, unwavering, unwearied, unwearying, unwinking, unyielding, utterly attentive, valence, vibrating, vital, weariless, well-trodden, well-worn, without end