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
Family members, friends, and contemporaries in the industry have been posting tributes following the news.
—
Mikelle Street, Them., 10 Nov. 2025
Many of Michael's famous contemporaries will also appear in the film.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
Godard was a cinephile and a vital film critic who, along with his contemporaries (François Truffaut, Agnès Varda, and Claude Chabrol), sought to reinvigorate French moviemaking.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
In this way, Gunn has little in common with his contemporaries’ superhero productions.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
As many of Husain’s contemporaries moved overseas (including Souza and Raza, who relocated to the UK and France, respectively), the painter remained in India, his eternal muse.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
His death drew scores of tributes from industry peers, including contemporaries and those influenced by his magnetic style.
—Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025
But whatever its faults and near-misses, Ragtime has always been, like its ’90s contemporaries Titanic and Parade, an opportunity for rediscovery.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Wilson went to watch the two bands play together in the basement of a Unitarian church in Philadelphia, a venue that has been hosting punk shows since 1993, where many of Everyone Asked About You’s contemporaries played.
—David Hill, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025
Mikelle Street, Them., 10 Nov. 2025
Many of Michael's famous contemporaries will also appear in the film.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
Godard was a cinephile and a vital film critic who, along with his contemporaries (François Truffaut, Agnès Varda, and Claude Chabrol), sought to reinvigorate French moviemaking.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
In this way, Gunn has little in common with his contemporaries’ superhero productions.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
As many of Husain’s contemporaries moved overseas (including Souza and Raza, who relocated to the UK and France, respectively), the painter remained in India, his eternal muse.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
His death drew scores of tributes from industry peers, including contemporaries and those influenced by his magnetic style.
—Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025
But whatever its faults and near-misses, Ragtime has always been, like its ’90s contemporaries Titanic and Parade, an opportunity for rediscovery.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Wilson went to watch the two bands play together in the basement of a Unitarian church in Philadelphia, a venue that has been hosting punk shows since 1993, where many of Everyone Asked About You’s contemporaries played.
—David Hill, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporaries
Noun
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Pine Ridge, South Dakota — A four-pack of rez dogs trotted toward the lone grocery store, greeting and tailing human companions in hopes of a spare scrap.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Google Gemini and ChatGPT are both found in the classroom and in the workplace, and don’t, for the most part, purport to be companions.—
Damon Beres,
The Atlantic,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Experts say many multinational firms are adopting dual leadership models, where global business unit heads in India co-own strategy and product outcomes with their counterparts at headquarters.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Specifically, supernovae derived from younger stellar populations appear fainter, while their older counterparts appear brighter.—
Ian Randall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But as spouses and co-parents, both parties need to be treated as equals, Sethi said.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
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In one sense, the 2025 World Series is not a battle of equals.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
23 Oct. 2025
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 14 Nov. 2025.
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