It gains strength by continuance.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) A right, custom, or practice that has been continuously maintained accumulates legal force over time — uninterrupted use is the strongest proof of right.

Where this applies

• A family has used a footpath across a neighbor's field for sixty years without interruption — each passing year strengthens their claim to a prescriptive easement.
• A local church has rung its bells every Sunday morning for over a century; when new residents complain of noise, the church's unbroken custom carries greater legal weight than it would after just a few years.
• A business has operated under the same trade name for forty years, and a newcomer tries to register a similar name — the older business's continuous use gives it a stronger claim.