modern

1 of 2

adjective

mod·​ern ˈmä-dərn 

nonstandard ˈmä-d(ə-)rən

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

4

: of or relating to modernism : modernist

Modern art has abandoned the representation of recognizable objects.

modernly

ˈmä-dərn-lē 

adverb

modernness

ˈmä-dərn-nəs 

noun

modern

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: 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

Synonyms of modern

Adjective

• new
• contemporary
• stylish
• fashionable
• current
• modernistic
• designer

Noun

• liberal
• modernist
• revolutionary

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

Archival records showed that modern state officials had known about the existence of cemetery for decades but had done nothing to restore it or memorialize the children. — Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026

The modern American Dream is best described as a private bunker where the outside world arrives entirely in a cardboard box or a fiber-optic cable. — John Mac Ghlionn, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026

Noun

Between these spaces exists a world balanced on the edge of the modern and the primitive, the high-tech and the rural, the corporeal and the mythic. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026

One partner may love mid-century modern while the other leans farmhouse, but there is almost always a middle path that borrows from both. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Late Latin modernus, from Latin modo just now, from modus measure — more at mete

First Known Use

Adjective

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing modern

• anti-modern
• modern art
• modern-day
• modern man
• modern pentathlon
• pre-modern

Rhymes for modern

• postmodern
• premodern

Kids 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

modernity

mə-ˈdər-nət-ē  mä- 

noun

modernness

ˈmäd-ərn-nəs 

noun

modern

2 of 2 noun

: a person of modern times or ideas