contemporary

¹con·tem·po·rary

adjective \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

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

²contemporary

noun

plural contemporar·ies

Definition of CONTEMPORARY

1

: one that is contemporary with another

2

: one of the same or nearly the same age as another

Examples of CONTEMPORARY

1. He was a contemporary of George Washington.
2. She is politically very different from most of her contemporaries.

First Known Use of CONTEMPORARY

1638

Related to CONTEMPORARY

Synonyms

coeval

Related Words

accompaniment, companion, concomitant; coordinate, counterpart, equal, equivalent, match, peer, rival