1
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the present or the immediate past : contemporary
the modern world
the modern American family
b
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a period extending from a relevant remote past to the present time
modern history
2
: involving recent techniques, methods, or ideas : up-to-date
modern methods of communication
made their house look more modern
a modern retelling of a classic children's story
3
Modern
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of the present or most recent period of development of a language
Modern English
Examples of modern in a Sentence
Adjective
Water pollution is a growing problem in the modern world.
He's known as the father of modern medicine.
The English that was spoken by William Shakespeare is very different from the modern English spoken today.
She is learning Modern Greek.
They live in one of the most modern cities in the world.
modern methods of communication including e-mail and the Internet
She cut her long hair for a modern look.
He made his old-fashioned apartment look more modern by changing the color of the walls and buying new furniture.
Their latest movie is a modern version of a classic children's story.
She has modern ideas about dating and marriage.
Noun
the leaders of the American suffragists were originally regarded by many people as uppity moderns who should have stayed in their place
Recent Examples on the Web
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2025
Richard Linklater‘s Nouvelle Vague time-travels to the moment right before modern cinema’s big bang, when the French New Wave crested and Godard’s Breathless would change everything.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Katie McDonough, Curbed, 6 Oct. 2025
A lot of houses built after the war are in a style known as mid-century modern.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for modern
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Adjective
The Power of Cinema Award honors an individual or organization whose actions through storytelling have advanced the significance and social relevance of film in today’s modern culture.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2025
Richard Linklater‘s Nouvelle Vague time-travels to the moment right before modern cinema’s big bang, when the French New Wave crested and Godard’s Breathless would change everything.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
The living room has southern exposures for all-day light and a working fireplace; the kitchen is a 90s Home Depot riff on mid-century modern that appeals to me.
—Katie McDonough, Curbed, 6 Oct. 2025
A lot of houses built after the war are in a style known as mid-century modern.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for modern
Cite this Entry
“Modern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/modern. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
modern
1 of 2 adjective
mod·ern
ˈmäd-ərn 
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the present or the recent past
2
: of or relating to the period from about 1500 to the present
modern history
Modern English
modern
2 of 2 noun
: a person of modern times or ideas
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