contemporary

1 of 2

adjective

con·​tem·​po·​rary kən-ˈtem-pə-ˌrer-ē How to pronounce contemporary (audio)
-ˌre-rē
1
a
: marked by characteristics of the present period : modern, current
contemporary American literature
contemporary standards
2
: happening, existing, living, or coming into being during the same period of time
The book is based on contemporary accounts of the war.
contemporarily adverb

contemporary

2 of 2

noun

plural contemporaries
1
: one that is contemporary with another
Petrarch and Chaucer were contemporaries.
2
: one of the same or nearly the same age as another

Did you know?

Contemporary can be confusing because of its slightly different meanings. In everyday use, it generally means simply "modern" or "new". But before the 20th century it instead referred only to things from the same era as certain other things; so, for instance, Jesus was contemporary with the Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius, and Muhammad was contemporary with Pope Gregory the Great. And contemporary is also a noun: thus, Jane Austen's contemporaries included Coleridge and Wordsworth, and your own contemporaries were born around the same year that you were.

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of contemporary in a Sentence

Adjective the absurd notion that early cave dwellers were contemporary with the dinosaurs a magazine devoted to contemporary fashions Noun He was a contemporary of George Washington. She is politically very different from most of her contemporaries.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The document aims to provide clarity and accuracy in reporting, addressing contemporary issues and nuanced terminology with precision and sensitivity. Nashville Tennessean, 5 Oct. 2025 But there are millions of people who are just like Held; an industry survey found that nearly half of contemporary fans of romance fiction also read at least a book a week. Rebecca Ackermann, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2025
Noun
The sale includes everything from the contemporary the brand’s iconic Juliet collection to modern Lillian furniture, including pieces that can transcend different designs like farmhouse or traditional Southern interiors. Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025 But that underestimates both the level of competition then — being a contemporary of the Big Three is not ideal in that regard — and how few players make the jump from junior prodigy to serial winner. James Hansen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for contemporary

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

probably borrowed from New Latin contemporārius "existing at the same period of time," from Latin con- con- + tempor-, tempus "time" + -ārius -ary entry 2 — more at tempo

Note: The suffixation may be modeled on Latin temporārius; see temporary entry 1.

Noun

derivative of contemporary entry 1, or from nominal use of its probable source, New Latin contemporārius

First Known Use

Adjective

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of contemporary was in 1614

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Contemporary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contemporary. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

contemporary

1 of 2 adjective
con·​tem·​po·​rary kən-ˈtem-pə-ˌrer-ē How to pronounce contemporary (audio)
1
: living or occurring at the same period of time
2
: of the present time : modern, current

contemporary

2 of 2 noun
plural contemporaries
: a person who lives at the same time or is about the same age as another

More from Merriam-Webster on contemporary

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