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
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
Like many of his contemporaries—James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Styron—Matthiessen was in Paris to channel the legacy of literary modernism and to write innovative fiction.
—Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The center — one of only seven basic laboratory cancer centers in the nation that are focused primarily on research — and its contemporaries were established through the National Cancer Act of 1971.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Oct. 2025
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
Like many of his contemporaries—James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Styron—Matthiessen was in Paris to channel the legacy of literary modernism and to write innovative fiction.
—Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The center — one of only seven basic laboratory cancer centers in the nation that are focused primarily on research — and its contemporaries were established through the National Cancer Act of 1971.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporaries
Noun
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Scientists have long known that dogs make wonderful companions, offering emotional support and even measurable health benefits to their human owners.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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Users pay a monthly subscription fee starting at about $8 to chat with custom AI companions.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, their counterparts in Yuba County reported a stable overall output year-over-year, with the county’s $262 million agricultural value up about 2%.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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Novelists—those modern counterparts to the epic poets—have something to teach all those constituencies.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In one sense, the 2025 World Series is not a battle of equals.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
23 Oct. 2025
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And unlike Discovery, Par-WB would be a merger of spiritual equals; the company of The Godfather is probably a better fit than the company of House Hunters.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
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 7 Nov. 2025.
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