modernity

noun

mo·​der·​ni·​ty mə-ˈdər-nə-tē 

mä-, 

-ˈder- 

1

: the quality or state of being or appearing to be modern

Such details as street lamps, telephone booths, mailboxes and manhole covers have been expensively recreated to recall a past that makes even young Hungarians nostalgic and Western tourists regret the flashy modernity of their cities.

—Henry Kamm

His early work portrayed the idiosyncratic behavior of his zany upper-class family whose wealth and quest for modernity impelled them to try out all the latest inventions and devices of the time, from electric razors to automobiles to flying machines.

—Naomi Rosenblum

2

: the modern era or world and especially the ideas and attitudes associated with the modern world

For all his conservatism, Henry Adams's encounter with modernity led neither to romantic antiquarianism … nor to an intensified commitment to those very liberal arts that were under siege in a market society.

—Peter N. Miller

Examples of modernity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But although Sula is decades older, its structure, prose, and protagonist are all defiant in their modernity. —Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026

Even all-white sneakers with silver accents can inject a refreshing hint of modernity. —Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026

Newsstands are reminders of our past, tucked into the city’s pursuit of modernity — no place better reminds us of this like the 50-year-old newsstand alongside the Grove. —Jason Lecras, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026

Des Moines’ most iconic restaurants aren’t defined by trends or glossy modernity — they’re built on decades of family tradition, neighborhood loyalty and recipes that have become part of the metro’s cultural DNA. —Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for modernity

• eternity
• fraternity
• maternity
• paternity
• confraternity
• taciturnity