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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contemporaneous In the past, a detective might not have known about a contemporaneous crime in another city until the other police department finished its investigation and prosecutors there pressed charges. Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 26 May 2025 By amplifying art and artists at the intersection of urgent contemporaneous social, cultural, and political concerns, MoMA PS1 invites visitors to inquire, learn, and engage in public debate for more than four decades. Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025 What Duster offers more than anything else are slow-motion sequences of characters walking around in period clothes to contemporaneous songs or nods to period films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Godfather, but homage is about the extent of this series’s attempt at style. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 May 2025 In this genre-bending work, Ms. Cockerell made the radical decision to remove herself or any kind of narration from the bulk of the book, instead stitching together selections from contemporaneous newspaper articles, journals, and speeches. Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 5 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for contemporaneous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporaneous
Adjective
  • Evaluation criteria may include response time or latency, ability to support concurrent users (concurrency), scalability across workloads and resource utilization. 3.
    Bill Wong, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • Just last week, Roblox hit a new all-time high for concurrent users with 25.8M players utilizing the platform at the same time.
    Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • The sheer number of DNA shifts that must have occurred in rapid succession to create this synchronous outcome also reflects the strong pressure horses were likely under to become fast and tireless.
    Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2025
  • The key lies in a fast oscillating sheet known as a diffuser, onto which synchronous images are projected at high speed (2,880 images per second) and at different heights; human persistence of vision ensures that these images are perceived as true 3D objects.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • With a lockable synchronic-tilt mechanism and special Z-Shape design, the Kaiser 2 can accommodate a weight up to 180kg, quite a bit more than normal mechanisms on office chairs and the back can be reclined to an angle of 160 degrees which can be locked when not in rocking mode.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2021
  • For his last runway collection, unveiled in September, Michele constructed a parallel universe of side-by-side shows separated by a wall that when lifted revealed twins in identical looks in synchronic stride.
    Colleen Barry, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2022
Adjective
  • The timing of these changes were roughly coincident with clarification of Information Blocking rules and Epic’s introduction of its own competing product.
    Seth Joseph, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
  • Another suggestion is that there were two more or less coincident eruptions, one each in northern and southern hemispheres.
    Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 26 July 2011
Adjective
  • Throughout the month, additional performances including international film screenings, dance (contemporary and classical), and hands-on ARTtalks—plus competitions, exhibitions, and free community events will be held.
    Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 29 June 2025
  • Unlike his contemporary, the science fiction author Jules Verne, who imagined a technologically facilitated journey to the Moon, Flammarion preferred a type of spiritual journey.
    Matthew Shindell, Space.com, 29 June 2025
Adjective
  • Possible explanations of a simultaneous dual engine failure could include contamination of the fuel source into both engines, or an issue stemming from an incorrect input of flight parameters before takeoff.
    Mika Gröndahl, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • That was the prevailing consternation emanating out of Queens and the Bronx last week as both the Yankees and the Mets engaged in simultaneous 13-day pratfalls that raised legitimate concerns as to just how good our locals really are.
    Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • Whether the singles were planned or coincidental, the dual release has fans tuned in.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 20 June 2025
  • There’s a coincidental yet meaningful connection between two of this summer’s buzziest movies.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Contemporaneous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemporaneous. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

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