contemporary

¹con·tem·po·rary

adj \kən-ˈtem-pə-ˌrer-ē, -ˌre-rē\

Definition of CONTEMPORARY

1

: happening, existing, living, or coming into being during the same period of time

2

a : simultaneous b : marked by characteristics of the present period : modern, current

— con·tem·po·rar·i·ly \-ˌtem-pə-ˈrer-ə-lē\ adverb

Examples of CONTEMPORARY

1. <the absurd notion that early cave dwellers were contemporary with the dinosaurs>
2. <a magazine devoted to contemporary fashions>

Origin of CONTEMPORARY

com- + Latin tempor-, tempus

First Known Use: 1631

Related to CONTEMPORARY

Synonyms: coetaneous, coeval, coexistent, coexisting, coextensive, coincident, coincidental, concurrent, contemporaneous, coterminous, simultaneous, synchronic, synchronous

Antonyms: asynchronous, noncontemporary, nonsimultaneous, nonsynchronous

Related Words: accompanying, attendant, attending, concomitant, incident

Near Antonyms: anachronistic; aged, age-old, ancient, antediluvian, hoary, old, venerable; bygone, former, late, olden, past; antique, historic, historical; retro, retrograde; kaput (also kaputt), obsolete, outmoded, outworn, unmodernized; old-world; discarded, disused, moth-eaten; forgotten, remote; ageless, dateless, timeless

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of CONTEMPORARY

contemporary, contemporaneous, coeval, synchronous, simultaneous, coincident mean existing or occurring at the same time. contemporary is likely to apply to people and what relates to them <Abraham Lincoln was contemporary with Charles Darwin>. contemporaneous is more often applied to events than to people <contemporaneous accounts of the kidnapping>. coeval refers usually to periods, ages, eras, eons <two stars thought to be coeval>. synchronous implies exact correspondence in time and especially in periodic intervals <synchronous timepieces>. simultaneous implies correspondence in a moment of time <the two shots were simultaneous>. coincident is applied to events and may be used in order to avoid implication of causal relationship <the end of World War II was coincident with a great vintage year>.

Rhymes with CONTEMPORARY

apothecary, bicentenary, confectionary, confectionery, consigliere, constabulary, deflationary, disciplinary, discretionary, diversionary, epistolary, exclusionary, expansionary, extemporary, extraordinary, fiduciary, hereditary, illusionary, imaginary, incendiary, inflationary, insanitary, intercalary, involuntary, itinerary, judiciary, lending library, marionberry, obituary, olallieberry, on the contrary, pecuniary, pituitary, precautionary, preliminary, presidiary, probationary, proprietary, provisionary, reactionary, subliterary, subsidiary, tercentenary, unnecessary, veterinary, vocabulary, voluptuary