modern

mod·ern | \ ˈmä-dərn

, nonstandard ˈmä-d(ə-)rən \

Definition of modern

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : of, relating to, or characteristic of the present or the immediate past : contemporary 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

3 capitalized : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of the present or most recent period of development of a language Modern English

4 : of or relating to modernism : modernist Modern art has abandoned the representation of recognizable objects.

modern

noun

Definition of modern (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : a person of modern times or views

b : an adherent of modernism : modernist

2 : a style of printing type distinguished by regularity of shape, precise curves, straight hairline serifs, and heavy downstrokes

Other Words from modern Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about modern

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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: Adjective The first time the proclamation was used, in the 1868 trial of President Andrew Johnson, lawmakers couldn’t have imagined life in the modern era. — Washington Post, "AP News in Brief at 11:04 p.m. EST," 19 Jan. 2020 The first time the proclamation was used, in the 1868 trial of President Andrew Johnson, lawmakers couldn’t have imagined life in the modern era. — Mary Clare Jalonick, BostonGlobe.com, "For senators during Trump impeachment trial, there’s no escape — and no cellphones," 19 Jan. 2020 Before the modern industrial era, crop failures were a leading cause of recession. — Greg Ip, WSJ, "For the Economy, Climate Risks Are No Longer Theoretical," 16 Jan. 2020 They will be joined in the class of 2020 by five former players from the modern era. — Jill Martin, CNN, "Drew Pearson on Hall of Fame snub: 'They broke my heart'," 16 Jan. 2020 Those three join ten players and three coaches along with the five modern-era inductees, who will be chosen the Saturday before the Super Bowl in Miami, as part of the 2020 class. — Dan Labbe, cleveland, "Former Browns, Ravens owner Art Modell left off Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Centennial Slate," 15 Jan. 2020 They'll be joined by up to five modern-era players, who will be chosen by the regular Hall of Fame selection committee before the Super Bowl next month. — Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, "Alex Karras' election to Pro Football Hall of Fame 'brings closure' to family," 15 Jan. 2020 The Tigers were the first major college football team in the modern era to go 15-0 last season and will have to do it again to repeat, beating two undefeated opponents in Ohio State and LSU along the way. — Ralph D. Russo, SFChronicle.com, "Clemson can join elite company with championship-game win against LSU," 12 Jan. 2020 This weekend, TASBot will finally take its talents into the modern gaming era, showing off expert-level Super Mario Maker 2 gameplay on an actual Switch during the livestreamed Awesome Games Done Quick speedrunning marathon. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Inside TASBot’s semi-secret, probably legal effort to control the Nintendo Switch," 11 Jan. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The two differed, the authors say, with moderns having a mild disruption of neural crest activity as compared with the full power of its effects, unencumbered by any disruption, in Neandertals and Denisovans. — Emily Willingham, Scientific American, "Missing Link Found for How Modern Humans Evolved Friendly Faces," 4 Dec. 2019 These were the Neanderthals and Denisovans, archaic humans who interbred with those early moderns, leaving bits of their DNA behind today in the genomes of people of non-African descent. — Wired, "Clues to Our Unknown Ancestors Are Hiding in Our Genome," 10 Feb. 2019 These were the Neanderthals and Denisovans, archaic humans who interbred with those early moderns, leaving bits of their DNA behind today in the genomes of people of non-African descent. — Jordana Cepelewicz, WIRED, "Clues to Our Unknown Ancestors Are Hiding in Our Genome," 10 Feb. 2019 One school of thought holds moderns were able to displace Neandertals by virtue of superior intellect and symbolic capabilities, including language. — Kate Wong, Scientific American, "Ancient Cave Paintings Clinch the Case for Neandertal Symbolism," 23 Feb. 2018 The latest is a three-story modern on the banks of the Meteghan River in Nova Scotia, promoted as able to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. — Laura Parker, National Geographic, "How the plastic bottle went from miracle container to hated garbage," 23 Aug. 2019 These were the Neanderthals and Denisovans, archaic humans who interbred with those early moderns, leaving bits of their DNA behind today in the genomes of people of non-African descent. — Wired, "Clues to Our Unknown Ancestors Are Hiding in Our Genome," 10 Feb. 2019 These were the Neanderthals and Denisovans, archaic humans who interbred with those early moderns, leaving bits of their DNA behind today in the genomes of people of non-African descent. — Jordana Cepelewicz, WIRED, "Clues to Our Unknown Ancestors Are Hiding in Our Genome," 10 Feb. 2019 The moderns forecast, or attempt to forecast, economic growth, inflation, employment. — James Grant, WSJ, "The Fed Could Use a Golden Rule," 11 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'modern.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

23 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Modern.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/modern?show=0&t=1355360189. Accessed 23 January 2020.

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More Definitions for modern

modern

adjective