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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 contemporaries
The desire for Michael’s contemporaries to still be seen by their audiences gave him further confirmation that his ideas were right.
—
Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026
A lot of my contemporaries were gone.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026
And some of the bees that technically failed the test may have actually outsmarted their contemporaries—by learning to work smarter, not harder.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 June 2026
Knight is a lot better at this than most of his contemporaries, but tactility can be difficult to fake for someone who usually doesn’t have to.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 June 2026
Unlike contemporaries such as Nirvana, a punk band that wanted to shred the patriarchal rock hegemony of the ’80s, and Pearl Jam, which functioned as an exorcism for the soul night in and night out, Corgan never hid his rock star ambitions.
—David Harris, SPIN, 2 June 2026
There were some who diminished the novels, lumping them with the frothy stories of such bestselling contemporaries as Danielle Steel or Judith Krantz.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
Over the years, his contemporaries have spoken highly of him as a coach and as a human.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 2 June 2026
At the same time, Notre Dame senior Joshua Harel leaped to heights that couldn’t be matched by his contemporaries.
—Gqlshare, Daily News, 1 June 2026
Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026
A lot of my contemporaries were gone.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026
And some of the bees that technically failed the test may have actually outsmarted their contemporaries—by learning to work smarter, not harder.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 June 2026
Knight is a lot better at this than most of his contemporaries, but tactility can be difficult to fake for someone who usually doesn’t have to.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 June 2026
Unlike contemporaries such as Nirvana, a punk band that wanted to shred the patriarchal rock hegemony of the ’80s, and Pearl Jam, which functioned as an exorcism for the soul night in and night out, Corgan never hid his rock star ambitions.
—David Harris, SPIN, 2 June 2026
There were some who diminished the novels, lumping them with the frothy stories of such bestselling contemporaries as Danielle Steel or Judith Krantz.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
Over the years, his contemporaries have spoken highly of him as a coach and as a human.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 2 June 2026
At the same time, Notre Dame senior Joshua Harel leaped to heights that couldn’t be matched by his contemporaries.
—Gqlshare, Daily News, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporaries
Noun
-
These would be my nap companions, a busy hive of bees whose entrance was out the side of the cottage.—
Christine Sarkis,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
Meredith’s companions testified that law enforcement had reacted slowly to Norvell’s threat.—
Aram Goudsouzian,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Some women founders still report being asked questions about family obligations, co-founders and long-term commitment that their male counterparts rarely face.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Consider shopping around online for both account types now, then, as online banks and institutions tend to offer more competitive rates and better terms than their counterparts with in-person branch locations.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The announcement framed it as a merger of equals, bringing 42 parks together under one company.—
HubSpot,
HubSpot,
1 June 2026
-
But leaders do need to understand that minimalism from a position of authority can feel different from minimalism between equals.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
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 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
