Synonyms of contemporaneous

contemporaneous

adjective

kən-ˌtem-pə-ˈrā-nē-əs 

as in concurrent

existing or occurring at the same period of time

contemporaneous accounts of the battle from officers on both sides

Synonyms & Similar Words

• concurrent
• synchronous
• synchronic
• coincident
• contemporary
• simultaneous
• coincidental
• coeval
• coterminous
• accompanying
• coetaneous
• coextensive
• concomitant
• incident
• coexistent
• coexisting
• attending
• attendant

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• asynchronous
• nonsynchronous
• nonsimultaneous
• noncontemporary

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective contemporaneous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of contemporaneous are coeval, coincident, contemporary, simultaneous, and synchronous. While all these words mean "existing or occurring at the same time," contemporaneous is more often applied to events than to people.

contemporaneous accounts of the kidnapping

When is coeval a more appropriate choice than contemporaneous?

While in some cases nearly identical to contemporaneous, coeval refers usually to periods, ages, eras, eons.

two stars thought to be coeval

When can coincident be used instead of contemporaneous?

In some situations, the words coincident and contemporaneous are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Where would contemporary be a reasonable alternative to contemporaneous?

Although the words contemporary and contemporaneous have much in common, contemporary is likely to apply to people and what relates to them.

Abraham Lincoln was contemporary with Charles Darwin

When is it sensible to use simultaneous instead of contemporaneous?

The meanings of simultaneous and contemporaneous largely overlap; however, simultaneous implies correspondence in a moment of time.

the two shots were simultaneous

When would synchronous be a good substitute for contemporaneous?

The words synchronous and contemporaneous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, synchronous implies exact correspondence in time and especially in periodic intervals.

synchronous timepieces

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of contemporaneous

There is no denying her perceptiveness, and her contemporaneous letters to her husband’s successor, Andrew Johnson—mostly attempts to secure positions for Lincoln loyalists—do not suggest a woman mentally finished off by yet more grief and loss. — Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 18 May 2026

The announcement comes a day before the start of Art-A-Whirl and Bauhaus' contemporaneous celebration, the Liquid Zoo. — Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 14 May 2026

All of Amadeus’s contemporaneous stylistic and dialogue choices are a blast, but the series’ suggestion that this kind of guy is plaguing our present, too, feels the most timeless, and the most unsettling. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 May 2026

In his biography of Fuller, Nevala-Lee reconstructed the crash from contemporary newspaper accounts, official records, and Fuller’s own contemporaneous notes. — Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 29 Apr. 2026