modern 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmä-dərn How to pronounce modern (audio)
Definition of modernnext
as in new
being or involving the latest methods, concepts, information, or styles this hairstyle is absolutely the most modern fashion out there

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

modern

2 of 2

noun

as in liberal
a person with very modern ideas the leaders of the American suffragists were originally regarded by many people as uppity moderns who should have stayed in their place

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 modern
Adjective
Even now, modern mosses and liverworts still have rhizoids rather than the complex, burrowing roots of vascular plants. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026 The invisible skeleton of modern warfare Applied Aerospace is not a speculative, pre-revenue technology startup selling software promises. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
For Göransson and Nolan, the ancient and the modern are not so far apart. — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 12 May 2026 In the 1980s, a pavilion for Japanese art by Bruce Goff resembling a late modern shinto shrine materialized on the north end of LACMA’s 20-acre campus. — Bloomberg, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for modern
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modern
  1. new
  2. liberal
  3. contemporary
  4. modernist
  5. stylish
  6. revolutionary
  7. fashionable
  8. current
Adjective
  • There are currently around 1,000 new Pip claims submitted every day in the UK; about 34% are successful.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 4 Oct. 2026
  • On Monday, the first day of the Supreme Court's new term, the justices will hear the Boulder case that could decide the fate of others like it.
    — LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of new
Noun
  • McCready, a liberal who has advocated all things ObamaCare and former President Obama, started out quite well.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Collin is a French liberal, a believer in the celebratory triad of liberté, égalité, fraternité.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of liberal
Adjective
  • The focus, according to their proposal, will be on contexts of appropriation, chains of ownership, and the significance of the artifacts to contemporary Cameroon.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Men’s accessories encompass bags in tactile raffia, calfskin and denim for a relaxed summer mood with its clean contemporary shapes and artisanal details.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of contemporary
Noun
  • Hauser & Wirth is betting on the fast-rising young painter George Rouy, whom the gallery is showing alongside Lee Bul, who represented Korea in the 1999 Venice Biennale, and Swiss modernist Hans Arp.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The modernist, mechanistic view of the world where humans are separate and death is the end doesn’t hold true to my experience.
    — Casper ter Kuile, Vox, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of modernist
Adjective
  • The shoe choice is also in character for Parker, whose real-life wardrobe has long been closely associated with stylish and luxury footwear.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • These exist in both the structures of her music and the fantastical world building achieved through presenting herself as a stylish equine named Stella Stallion that exists in a natural wonderland world that’s like if Lisa Frank met Planet Earth.
    — Katie Bain, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of stylish
Noun
  • Exiled revolutionaries needed somewhere to go, as did poorer residents who were hoping the revolution would improve conditions.
    — Blaise Mesa, jsonline.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The series follows an exiled revolutionary forced to return to Uruguay and confront his past.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of revolutionary
Adjective
  • Investors need management teams to make better decisions with shareholder capital, and not just because AI is fashionable.
    — George Achilleos, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • That willingness to pay for something that feels worth the splurge extends beyond a fashionable handbag.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of fashionable
Adjective
  • That costs additional money—both London teams this past week set up headquarters for fans, with current and former players participating in events throughout the lead-up to the game—and also provides some additional income.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Swift appears as a spectral figure trying to warn Johnson that, based on her own experience, her rich husband has more sinister intentions than his current bride imagines.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of current

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moderators
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Cite this Entry

“Modern.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modern. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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