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
Their ’70s and ’80s contemporaries Gang of Four, Ministry, X, and the B-52s have all recently announced or completed final tours, and Blondie has indicated that its upcoming album will be its last.
—
Michael Tedder, SPIN, 5 May 2026
Like most of his música mexicana contemporaries, Diego Millán, better known artistically as Calle 24, sang about the excesses of living the rock star life — the money, the cars, the booze and the women.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
The partnership also draws a quieter historical line between Gabrielle Chanel and Peggy Guggenheim—contemporaries who never met but shared a commitment to supporting artists working at the edge of their time.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026
The esteemed fashionista features more prominently in The Devil Wears Prada 2 than many of her contemporaries.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Backstage hologram continues to sharpen the edges of kuru’s music, with punchier low end and brattier energy that occasionally resembles the moshpit-ready rage rap pushed by contemporaries like Prettifun and Nettspend.
—Jude Noel, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
The first is the engraving by Martin Droeshout on the title page of the First Folio, which had been edited by the actors John Heminge and Henry Condell, both contemporaries of Shakespeare.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Andrews’ voice has also held up remarkably well unlike several of his ‘90s contemporaries.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
He was passed over again earlier this year but still fired back at a fan who claimed one of his contemporaries was the better quarterback.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Michael Tedder, SPIN, 5 May 2026
Like most of his música mexicana contemporaries, Diego Millán, better known artistically as Calle 24, sang about the excesses of living the rock star life — the money, the cars, the booze and the women.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
The partnership also draws a quieter historical line between Gabrielle Chanel and Peggy Guggenheim—contemporaries who never met but shared a commitment to supporting artists working at the edge of their time.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026
The esteemed fashionista features more prominently in The Devil Wears Prada 2 than many of her contemporaries.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Backstage hologram continues to sharpen the edges of kuru’s music, with punchier low end and brattier energy that occasionally resembles the moshpit-ready rage rap pushed by contemporaries like Prettifun and Nettspend.
—Jude Noel, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
The first is the engraving by Martin Droeshout on the title page of the First Folio, which had been edited by the actors John Heminge and Henry Condell, both contemporaries of Shakespeare.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Andrews’ voice has also held up remarkably well unlike several of his ‘90s contemporaries.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
He was passed over again earlier this year but still fired back at a fan who claimed one of his contemporaries was the better quarterback.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporaries
Noun
-
Sally Field and Lewis Pullman play unlikely companions in a small seaside town, joined by a narrating octopus voiced by Alfred Molina.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
-
These will be better companions.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Their Democratic counterparts have often lagged in comparison.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
Their strategy was defensive in nature (as indicated by the Maginot Line), and their tanks were designed accordingly, featuring heavier armor and larger guns than their British, German, and Soviet counterparts.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Pernod’s offer, while billed as a merger of equals, gave rise to thorny issues that the two sides couldn’t square.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
7 May 2026
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Even a 6% discrepancy in funding (which is roughly what the $135 million shortfall equals) ends up being an enormous amount of money.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 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 10 May. 2026.
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