Con·ti·nen·tal a.
 1. Of or pertaining to a continent.
 2. Of or pertaining to the main land of Europe, in distinction from the adjacent islands, especially England; as, a continental tour; a continental coalition.
    No former king had involved himself so frequently in the labyrinth of continental alliances.
 3. Amer. Hist. Of or pertaining to the confederated colonies collectively, in the time of the Revolutionary War; as, Continental money.
    The army before Boston was designated as the Continental army, in contradistinction to that under General Gage, which was called the =\“Ministerial army.”\=   --W. Irving.
 Continental Congress. See under Congress.
 Continental system Hist., the blockade of Great Britain ordered by Napoleon by the decree of Berlin, Nov. 21, 1806; the object being to strike a blow at the maritime and commercial supremacy of Great Britain, by cutting her off from all intercourse with the continent of Europe.


 Continental system. Hist. The system of commercial blockade aiming to exclude England from commerce with the Continent instituted by the Berlin decree, which Napoleon I. issued from Berlin Nov. 21, 1806, declaring the British Isles to be in a state of blockade, and British subjects, property, and merchandise subject to capture, and excluding British ships from all parts of Europe under French dominion. The retaliatory measures of England were followed by the Milan decree, issued by Napoleon from Milan Dec. 17, 1807, imposing further restrictions, and declaring every ship going to or from a port of England or her colonies to be lawful prize.

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