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

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

That that potentially decades-old statement was widely interpreted as contemporaneous — and still resonates deeply with modern readers — certainly speaks to how some things stay the same. —J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 3 June 2025

Which is to say, of course teen movies reflect the times in which they are made and society’s contemporaneous understanding of what Kids Today are like (wholesome or delinquent, risk-taking or anxious, horny or … horny). —Lisa Schwarzbaum, New York Times, 31 May 2025