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

Set against a backdrop of turbulent transition as the Middle Ages move into modernity, the film follows the three men on their long and arduous journey, across a Europe ravaged by wars and uprisings, to Versailles. — Ed Meza, Variety, 28 July 2026

Black acacia wood invites a new level of modernity that is further emphasized by the sleek finish of the Joss & Main Haiden sideboard. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 July 2026

The director rejects aspects of modernity in his personal life, too. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026

The idea is to pair the Chase lounge network’s signature design with a Texas-style blend of Dallas modernity and Fort Worth Western heritage. — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for modernity

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