contemporary 1 of 2

contemporary

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noun

as in companion
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

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective contemporary differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of contemporary are coeval, coincident, contemporaneous, simultaneous, and synchronous. While all these words mean "existing or occurring at the same time," contemporary is likely to apply to people and what relates to them.

Abraham Lincoln was contemporary with Charles Darwin

When is coeval a more appropriate choice than contemporary?

In some situations, the words coeval and contemporary are roughly equivalent. However, coeval refers usually to periods, ages, eras, eons.

two stars thought to be coeval

When could coincident be used to replace contemporary?

The words coincident and contemporary can be used in similar contexts, but coincident is applied to events and may be used in order to avoid implication of causal relationship.

the end of World War II was coincident with a great vintage year

In what contexts can contemporaneous take the place of contemporary?

While the synonyms contemporaneous and contemporary are close in meaning, contemporaneous is more often applied to events than to people.

contemporaneous accounts of the kidnapping

When is it sensible to use simultaneous instead of contemporary?

The meanings of simultaneous and contemporary largely overlap; however, simultaneous implies correspondence in a moment of time.

the two shots were simultaneous

Where would synchronous be a reasonable alternative to contemporary?

The synonyms synchronous and contemporary are sometimes interchangeable, but synchronous implies exact correspondence in time and especially in periodic intervals.

synchronous timepieces

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 contemporary
Adjective
The 90-minute, time-hopping play weaves facts with fiction and contemporary tragedy with an ancient Greek poem in the moving and often funny story of one woman’s 20-year cycle of grief and recovery. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 June 2025 The exhibition was created to examine Tom of Finland’s place in the contemporary art scene and how the homoerotic artist’s message resonates with diverse groups. Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 26 June 2025
Noun
To Boltzmann’s contemporaries, this was perplexing. Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 11 June 2025 Most of my friends and contemporaries are in very good shape. Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for contemporary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contemporary
Adjective
  • Just last week, Roblox hit a new all-time high for concurrent users with 25.8M players utilizing the platform at the same time.
    Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 23 June 2025
  • Evaluation criteria may include response time or latency, ability to support concurrent users (concurrency), scalability across workloads and resource utilization. 3.
    Bill Wong, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Despite introducing the modern world to Nintendo games with 1981’s arcade classic, the great ape was quickly sidelined in favor of making Mario a star.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2025
  • Get Back redefined modern music documentary and longform storytelling, sweeping the Emmys’ documentary categories with five awards.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • Many venues are proudly dog-friendly, ensuring that even your furry companion can walk the aisle or share in your special moments.
    Rhiannon Frater, USA Today, 23 June 2025
  • As temperatures tick up across California, pet owners could be putting their animal companions in danger.
    Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 22 June 2025
Adjective
  • With a lockable synchronic-tilt mechanism and special Z-Shape design, the Kaiser 2 can accommodate a weight up to 180kg, quite a bit more than normal mechanisms on office chairs and the back can be reclined to an angle of 160 degrees which can be locked when not in rocking mode.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2021
  • For his last runway collection, unveiled in September, Michele constructed a parallel universe of side-by-side shows separated by a wall that when lifted revealed twins in identical looks in synchronic stride.
    Colleen Barry, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2022
Adjective
  • Affectionately, the 35-year-old pop star is not known for setting or chasing trends, instead using fashion to tease new musical eras or evoke a sense of girl-next-door relatability.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 29 June 2025
  • Its intuitive editing tools, combined with accessibility through platforms like Google Gemini, Flow, Vids, and Vertex AI, open new frontiers for filmmakers, marketers, educators, and game designers alike.
    Sahar Hashmi, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • He may also have been inspired by the spirited instrumental and vocal accompaniment on most of his encores from Larkin Poe — sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, who are 26 and 25, respectively.
    George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2025
  • Great Travel Drink Accessories and Portable Coolers At the end of a long drive, a chilled wine is a perfect accompaniment to a picnic lunch or barbecue dinner, and the Decoy Featherweight Chardonnay keeps it light.
    Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • The sheer number of DNA shifts that must have occurred in rapid succession to create this synchronous outcome also reflects the strong pressure horses were likely under to become fast and tireless.
    Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 27 Mar. 2025
  • The key lies in a fast oscillating sheet known as a diffuser, onto which synchronous images are projected at high speed (2,880 images per second) and at different heights; human persistence of vision ensures that these images are perceived as true 3D objects.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • All of this determines why Le Bernardin is expensive, but not as much as many others in New York, and considerably less than Parisian counterparts.
    John Mariani, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • Certain types of roofing materials are designed to reflect more sunlight than their counterparts, leading to cooler interiors.
    Maddie Topliff, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Contemporary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contemporary. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

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