as in companions
a person who lives at the same time or is about the same age as another
Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were exact contemporaries, actually being born on the same day in 1809
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Recent Examples of contemporaries
But Duckart sets himself apart from his brooding contemporaries with sheer intensity, never diffusing vulnerable moments with a quip or an ironically upbeat chorus.
—
Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 28 Jan. 2026
During his 10 years with the A’s, La Russa made a ritual of meeting up with his contemporaries in the area at the time.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026
Aristotle was also among the first of his contemporaries to recognise that Earth was spherical, based on his observations of the curved shadow cast on the lunar surface during a lunar eclipse.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 25 Jan. 2026
The latter, as a driving tour of Carmel-by-the-Sea and its houses quickly confirms, is still one more area where Dyar’s work clearly separates itself from that of all but a few of his local contemporaries.
—Richard Olsen, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Whatever his contemporaries thought of Melville’s prose, at least his coworkers respected his dedication and honesty, the later a rare commodity in government work during the late nineteenth-century.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Maersk, like its contemporaries that have made Red Sea sailings, is still focused on sticking to the Cape of Good Hope route despite the movement of the 6,445-TEU Sebarok.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
Like nearly all of its contemporaries, the Sportage is just a vehicle.
—New Atlas, 8 Jan. 2026
Joffrey and Aprino, too, were much inspired by their innovative contemporaries.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Hannah Jocelyn, Pitchfork, 28 Jan. 2026
During his 10 years with the A’s, La Russa made a ritual of meeting up with his contemporaries in the area at the time.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026
Aristotle was also among the first of his contemporaries to recognise that Earth was spherical, based on his observations of the curved shadow cast on the lunar surface during a lunar eclipse.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 25 Jan. 2026
The latter, as a driving tour of Carmel-by-the-Sea and its houses quickly confirms, is still one more area where Dyar’s work clearly separates itself from that of all but a few of his local contemporaries.
—Richard Olsen, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Whatever his contemporaries thought of Melville’s prose, at least his coworkers respected his dedication and honesty, the later a rare commodity in government work during the late nineteenth-century.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
Maersk, like its contemporaries that have made Red Sea sailings, is still focused on sticking to the Cape of Good Hope route despite the movement of the 6,445-TEU Sebarok.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
Like nearly all of its contemporaries, the Sportage is just a vehicle.
—New Atlas, 8 Jan. 2026
Joffrey and Aprino, too, were much inspired by their innovative contemporaries.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporaries
Noun
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Like the couple, these furry companions are trapped inside this one-floor home.—
Alicia Victoria Lozano,
NBC news,
31 Jan. 2026
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And almost half would be willing to meet new companions using an app that finds fellow travelers along the same route.—
Ramsey Qubein,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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These scrolls are about 100 times thinner than a human hair and conduct electricity more efficiently than their flat counterparts.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Jan. 2026
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But lead plaintiff Madison Fisk and her fellow former teammates—represented by lawyers Arthur Bryant, Lori Bullock, Gayle Blatt and Jenna Rangel—pushed for financial compensation as well, arguing they were collectively denied years of athletic financial aid given to their male counterparts.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This notion of the Swedish welfare state as having been built by equals, by an initial largely rural and poor population, arguably distracted these pensioners from questions of wealth accumulation.—
Miranda Sheild Johansson,
Fortune,
22 Jan. 2026
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The wealth-equals-health dynamic played out glaringly in Orange County during the pandemic.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The universal hatred comes from the child star’s coevals, whose curiosity about the occupation is mingled with resentment.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contemporaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemporaries. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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