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 But transparency cannot come at the expense of the very people whom the justice system is sworn to protect—particularly amid contemporaneous events that magnify risk and trauma. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2025 The investigation team, which interviewed 78 witnesses and reviewed contemporaneous documents and unedited program footage, substantiated 45 of the allegations — just over half of those made. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 July 2025 As Fowler outlines, in contrast to much contemporaneous Liberal thought, anarchists believed that personal liberty was best pursued socially, in a community free of government and living peacefully with the wider environment. Ben Woollard, JSTOR Daily, 18 June 2025 In contemporaneous notes shared with Suncoast Searchlight, Sheehy wrote that in early 2023, the trust was suddenly on the table as a potential source of funding for a very different purpose. Alice Herman, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for contemporaneous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporaneous
Adjective
  • Missouri would be the only state in the country with such a requirement, called a concurrent majority, according to a review of state ballot measure rules compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Silksong just passed up yesterday’s 562,000 concurrent Steam playercount record, a stunning number for a $20 indie game, though obviously boosted by its mythological status after seven years of waiting from fans.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The modules are supplemented with synchronous discussions led by world-class educators who provide Masterclasses across diverse disciplines.
    Bryan Penprase, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
  • At that time, two different brain networks generate slow, synchronous electrical waves known as slow waves that connect visual stimuli with brain regions required for navigation.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
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
  • The tendency of policymakers to date has been to view the harms from internet platforms not as systemic, but as a series of coincident issues.
    Roger McNamee, Wired, 24 July 2021
Adjective
  • Maybe anyone busting on a contemporary Knute Rockne on live television would always hit.
    Pete Sampson, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
  • While its heritage remains intact, contemporary dining, wellness, and a growing emphasis on sustainability signal how even a grand dame can move with the times.
    Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Republicans, meanwhile, see the simultaneous openings as a chance to extend their dominance.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Advertisers still crave the broad, simultaneous viewership such extravaganzas generate, and marketers that in the past might not have spent heavily on sports now see new reasons to do so.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Those distinctions are not coincidental.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
  • The two targets were fighting over how to go about developing the land, which lent some tips to the investigation of their deaths, but there are also a few red herrings and coincidental events that complicate the case.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Contemporaneous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemporaneous. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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